Argentina produced the performance of the World Cup finals so far by booking their place in the knockout stages with a stunning 6-0 rout of Serbia & Montenegro in Gelsenkirchen.

Maxi Rodriguez (2), Esteban Cambiasso, Hernan Crespo, Carlos Tevez and Lionel Messi all found the net in a stunning team display.

The highlight of a bewitching 90 minutes was their second goal from Cambiasso which rounded off a stunning 24-pass move.

For Serbia & Montenegro meanwhile it's two defeats and an early exit, and to add to their misery they had former Chelsea striker Mateja Kezman sent off in the second half.

Before kick-off Serbia were forced to make a late change in defence with Milan Dudic replacing Ivica Dragutinovic, and things just got worse and worse.

They were rocked back on their heels in the sixth minute when Argentina opened the scoring with a superb goal.

Javier Saviola threaded the ball through to Rodriguez and he found the far corner with a shot on the run.

It was the kind of quality you would expect from one of football's leading nations and served as a warning shot to Serbia.

Jose Pekerman's side extended their lead in the 31st minute and again the goal was fashioned out of nothing.

After a superb move full of delicious one-touch passing Crespo showed marvellous vision to backheel the ball in a tight area and Cambiasso, who had surged forward, provided the finish.

Serbia were stunned and their opponents looked on a different level.

Crespo was then handed a yellow card for finding the net after the whistle had sounded.

But the party for the South Americans continued with Rodriguez scoring his second goal at the far post in the 41st minute after Saviola had supplied the cross.

Argentina went close to a fourth goal after the break as Crespo and Saviola both went close.

And to add to Serbia & Montenegro's misery they were reduced to 10 men on 65 minutes as Kezman received a straight red card for sliding into a tackle on Javier Mascherano with his studs showing.

Argentina did grab a fourth goal 12 minutes from time as Messi - on as a substitute - got round the back of the defence and crossed low for Crespo to tap home.

It was 5-0 six minutes from time as another sub Tevez nutmegged one defender, beat another and slid a low shot past Dragoslav Jevric.

Messi added the sixth two minutes from time, sliding home a shot after picking up a superb Tevez pass.

Argentina will now meet Holland in Frankfurt next Wednesday to decide who tops Group C.

Both sides have two wins, but Argentina's goal difference is far superior.