Watch Pellistri's goal as Uruguay beat Bolivia
Manchester United winger Facundo Pellistri scored the opening goal in Uruguay's 5-0 win over Bolivia at the Copa America on Thursday night.
Pellistri, who spent the second half of last season on loan in La Liga with Granada, got the scoring under way with a stooping header to convert a ball across the six-yard area from Barcelona's Ronald Araujo. You can watch the goal below, courtesy of the tournament's official X account.
Our Uruguayan also assisted Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde for the fourth of La Celeste's five goals, with a low centred pass from the right that the latter swept into the bottom-left corner of the net.
Así abría Facu Pellistri el marcador para la Celeste 🇺🇾 pic.twitter.com/DSwJEFihEq
— CONMEBOL Copa América™️ (@CopaAmerica) June 28, 2024
Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez had doubled Uruguay's advantage in the first half after Pellistri's opener, before Valverde's strike was one of three scored in a period of 12 second-half minutes, in the closing stages of the contest at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium.
It was sandwiched between an effort from Maximiliano Araujo, of Mexican club Toluca, and a free-kick delivery that was successfully diverted in by Tottenham's Rodrigo Bentancur from close range.
The win means Uruguay have maximum points from their opening two matches in Group C of this year's Copa America, having defeated Panama 3-1 in their first game on Monday. A point from their final fixture against hosts USA on Tuesday (02:00 BST kick-off) will be enough to see them progress to the knockout rounds as table-toppers.
If Marcelo Bielsa's men can secure a place in the last 16, they will join countries such as Argentina, whose squad includes Pellistri's United team-mates Alejandro Garnacho and Lisandro Martinez.
The 2022 World Cup winners have already booked their place in the next phase, having also won each of their two outings at the tournament so far. They can secure first place in Group A by avoiding defeat to Peru on Sunday (01:00 BST).