BARRIO (The Guardian) – Nicolas Otamendi scored with a towering header to give Argentina a 1-0 away win over Brazil in a bad-tempered World Cup qualifier that was delayed by half an hour on Tuesday after police clashed with fans at Maracanã Stadium.

Locals and Argentinian fans started fighting during the playing of the national anthems before the match prompting the Brazilian police to charge the visiting contingent, who responded by ripping up and throwing seats at the officers.

Fans near the trouble panicked and came onto the pitch to escape the fighting. At least one injured fan was taken from the stadium on a stretcher.

The Argentina team, led by captain Lionel Messi, went over to the terraces to try and calm the situation before leaving the pitch and returning to the dressing room.

The world champion Argentina team eventually returned once the police had corralled the travelling fans in a pen and the match between South America’s fiercest footballing rivals started after a delay of about 30 minutes.

Five-time World Cup winners Brazil were hoping their fans at the sold-out stadium would help them get their campaign back on track after they lost successive qualifiers for the first time in their history.

Defender Otamendi scored from a Giovani Lo Celso corner in the 63rd minute with Argentina’s only shot on target and Brazil’s misery was compounded when midfielder Joelinton was sent off for hitting Rodrigo de Paul in the face in the 82nd minute.

The world champions handed their fiercest rivals a third consecutive loss as Brazil came into the match having conceded back-to-back defeats in World Cup qualifiers for the first time in their history.

It was also Brazil’s first ever home loss in a World Cup qualifier. Argentina top the standings on 15 points with Brazil eight points behind in sixth place, the last spot that guarantees a berth at the 2026 finals.