Argentina drops points at home in crucial World Cup qualifier vs. Brazil

Neither Argentina nor Brazil picked up the win they needed to kick-start their 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign, as the two eternal rivals could only settle for a point in a 1-1 draw at Estadio Monumental on Friday night.

Ezequiel Lavezzi finished off an incisive passing play in the first half to open the scoring in the first half - the lone goal for Argentina in the preliminaries. But Lucas Lima equalised in the second half after a mad scramble in the penalty area.

A red card to substitute David Luiz for a lunging tackle on Lucas Biglia invited the opportunity for a late winner. It never arrived.

Argentina is now winless in three matches, while Brazil has just four points.