With Barcelona star Lionel Messi pulling the strings in midfield, Argentina were made to fight all the way before claiming the win.

For much of the Group A contest the Argentinians postured about and tried to razzle-dazzle the Australians who scrapped as if their lives depended on it.

In the end, the Olyroos were brought undone by a masterpiece of a goal in the 77th minute.

After a series of quick passes back and forth across the box, substitute Angel de Maria chipped to Ezequiel Lavezzi who stabbed a volley hard and low past a diving Adam Federici in goal.

Messi, who is playing in the Olympics despite a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport that Barcelona was entitled to first call on his services, was in everything for his country.

He announced himself as Argentina's main man as early as the seventh minute when, capitalising on some neat work down the left by Sergio Aguero, he fired over the top from just eight metres with plenty of net to aim for.

Six minutes on, Messi slipped through on the right only to find Federici's frame in the road at the near post, and he came close again on the stroke of half-time when his left foot blast from all of 25 metres skidded inches wide of the Aussie 'keeper's left upright.

In between, however, it was the Australians who were entitled to feel hardest done by when a clear penalty for handball by defender Federico Fazio in the 33rd minute was waved away by referee Victor Kasai of Hungary.

With two wins from two, Argentina retain their place at the top of the Group while Australia have just the one point from last Thursday's draw against Serbia to show from its two matches.

Australia's final Group match is in Tianjin on Wednesday against the Ivory Coast who take on Serbia later on Sunday evening.

In Shenyang, minnows New Zealand were no match for Brazil who went two-up in the first-half of their Group C match through goals to Manchester United's Anderson and striker Alexander Pato, en route to a five-nil rout

Anderson got the scoring started in the third minute when his initial shot rebounded obligingly off New Zealand 'keeper Jacob Spoonley and he was able to nod the ball into an empty net.

Half-an-hour on, Pato doubled the advantage with a deft, angled header into the top corner from a cross on the left by Marcelo.

AC Milan star Ronaldinho scored two of Brazil's three second-half goals.

Nigeria defeated Japan 2-1 in the early match in Group B played in Tianjin while Cameroon prevailed 1-0 over Honduras in the Group D match in Qinhuangdao.