Brazil on Tuesday night qualified for the finals of the Copa America final while the drought of Argentina winning a senior international trophy under Barcelona’s Lionel Messi continues.

Manchester City’s Gabriel Jesus and Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino each assisted each other as Brazil beat Argentina 2-0 at thevEstadio Mineirão in Belo Horizonte to clinch a place in the championship match.

The sworn enemies were both looking to vanquish some past ghosts in this semifinal. For hosts, Brazil, they returned to the place of its most infamous 7-1 loss to Germany in the 2014 World Cup semifinals.

For Argentina, it was about quieting critics and ending a trophy drought which extends back to 1993 and has always been the key talking point for anyone disputing Lionel Messi’s place among the all-time greats.

With an injured Neymar watching in the luxury boxes, Firmino forced a second-minute save from a diving Franco Armani, although the offside flag would have nullified the strike had it gone in.

Brazil controlled possession in the opening 10 minutes, not letting Argentina create anything going forward but La Albiceleste nearly opened the scoring in sensational fashion on their first opportunity.

Leandro Paredes saw space from some 40 yards out and fired away with a curling screamer which that did not miss goalkeeper Alisson’s goal by much but whizzed over the bar 12 minutes in.

Brazil got back on the front foot after that and following a spurned chance, Gabriel Jesus put the hosts ahead. The move started with Dani Alves magic surging through the midfield.

The veteran fullback faked a defender before playing it wide right to Firmino. The Liverpool star crossed to his Man City countryman who finished with a first-time touch from close range in the 19th minute.

Argentina scrapped to get back into the game and nearly pulled level courtesy of a Messi free kick while Sergio Aguero’s header off the looping set piece beat Alisson but hit off the front side of the cross bar.

Messi, who has been self-critical about his play in Brazil thus far, started to come into the match a bit more after that, dipping into his bag of tricks to evade three Brazilian defenders on a sequence which ultimately fizzled out before troubling Alisson.

Argentina threatened Brazil within five minutes of the start of the second half. Aguero sent in a cross off the outside of his boot from the left to locate Martinez but his winding volley forced Alisson into a diving save.

Brazil missed a chance to double the lead in the 56th minute when Coutinho chipped high over the bar after a sumptuous Gabriel Jesus through ball split the Argentina defense and played the Barcelona star through.

Action picked up on the other end as well, with Messi rattling the left post after volleying the ball to himself to strike after a blocked shot had fallen into his path.

The Barcelona star had another chance in the 67th minute after drawing a foul just outside the Brazil box.

He lined up for the free kick and tried to beat Alisson to the upper left-hand corner, the same place he beat the Liverpool goalkeeper in Barcelona’s Champions League first-leg win over the Reds earlier this year but Alisson read it all the way through, leaping to the spot and making a sure-handed catch to keep the freekick out.

Brazil punished the Argentines for their inability to pull even by doubling its lead in the 71st minute.

Gabriel Jesus embarked on a solo run from the midfield line, shrugging off the challenges of multiple Argentina defenders and feeding Firmino for the simplest of finishes. To make 2-0.

The win also marked the fifth straight clean sheet for Alisson in the competition, a streak he will ook to extend to six in Sunday’s final against either Chile or Peru at the famous Maracana Stadium.