Tévez double fires up Argentina

Argentina ended Mexico's involvement in the FIFA World Cup at the last-16 stage for the second tournament running with a 3-1 victory in Johannesburg that earned Diego Maradona's side a last-eight meeting with Germany in Cape Town on 3 July.

Javier Aguirre's men more than held their own for 26 minutes as they sought to avenge their 2-1 extra-time defeat in Leipzig four years ago but a goal in each half from Carlos Tévez, separated by Gonzalo Higuaín's effort, resigned them to a familiar fate long before Javier Hernández's reply.

Mexico created the first chances with Carlos Salcido's strike from 35 metres cannoning off the bar before a swerving drive by Andrés Guardado just evaded the upright. However, Lionel Messi and Tévez, both sparingly-used substitutes in the 2006 meeting, became more influential as the match progressed.

The breakthrough arrived when Messi bisected the Mexico defence and Tévez pounced to nod in from the FC Barcelona talisman's second delivery after initially being denied by Óscar Pérez. Seven minutes later it was 2-0 as Ricardo Osorio gifted possession on the edge of the area to Higuaín, who glided past Pérez and finished to become the leading scorer at the tournament with his fourth goal in South Africa.

Tévez rifled in one of the goals of the competition from distance after 52 minutes before Mexico's riposte saw Pablo Barrera's header cleared off the line by Gabriel Heinze and Hernández thunder in a 71st-minute consolation. But it could not prevent Argentina booking a date with Germany in the last eight, a rematch of the 1986 and 1990 finals as well as the repeat of the 2006 quarter-final when the European side won on penalties.