Clásico Platense ends in a draw while Lanus overcome Libertadores hangover

Friday

Defensa y Justicia ended their poor run of form with a comfortable victory over relegation-threatened Chacarita. Nicolas Fernandez got back on the scoresheet: the talented 21-year old winger has now scored 8 goals in 11 appearances. Not too bad of a contribution from a winger! Defensa were 3-0 up at one point before Chacarita got back into the game with two quick goals. It was nothing more than a small sting as Defensa were able to see the game out. They even added a 4th in injury time to pile on Chacarita’s misery. Defensa y Justicia 4 x 2 Chacarita.

Union faced a poor Arsenal side on a hot Friday evening in Santa Fe. Union are high up the table but hadn’t won any of their last 4 meetings with Arsenal. A streak that continued as Arsenal scraped out a 0-0 draw. The hosts will be disappointed to not pick up a win. Arsenal don’t really benefit from a draw either, they are still deep in relegation trouble. Union 0 x 0 Arsenal.

Newell’s were looking to bounce back from their 4-2 defeat against Estudiantes. They fancied their chances coming into this game as they faced Colon, a side that had lost their last 4 games. However, Colon were solid at the back and Luciano Pocrnjic made some good saves to avoid Newell’s from conceding. It looked like the game would end in a 0-0 draw but an 82nd-minute goal from Guillermo Ortiz separated both sides. A relative poor game from the hosts. Colon have got a Copa Sudamericana game coming up this midweek: they face Zamora in Venezuela. Newell’s 0 x 1 Colon.

Saturday

Gimnasia and Estudiantes both shared the points in the Clásico Platense. Derbies are often tight in Argentina and the Clásico Platense proved to be no different. Estudiantes probably had the better chances but failed to put any of them away. The game didn’t end with 22 players on the pitch as Omar Aldrete got himself sent off for Gimnasia late on. It made no difference though. Gimnasia 0 x 0 Estudiantes.

Velez haven’t been able to excel yet under Gabriel Heinze. They were confident of picking up all three points though as they hosted relegation-threatened Patronato. Adrián ‘Rocky’ Balboa opened the scoring for Patronato after just 11 minutes. A silky roulette followed by a one-two over the defensive line saw Balboa one-on-one with Velez’s GK César Rigamonti. He slotted the ball under the rushing Rigamonti; 0-1. One of the best goals of the weekend. Velez probably deserved a goal and had a couple of good chances but it was Patronato who sealed the victory. Sebastian Ribas secured the win in the 86th minute with his first and Patronato’s second of the game. A disappointing result for El Fortin. Velez 0 x 2 Patronato.

Olimpo hosted an eager Racing side later that evening. Racing were high on morale looking to continue from last week’s 4-0 win over Huracan. Olimpo had lost 4 on the bounce themselves but took the lead shortly after halftime. Sigali equalled two minutes later on for Racing who were the dominant side in this tie, as you would expect. Lautaro Martinez stole the show last weekend but was unable to contribute to any of the goals on Saturday. It was bad boy Ricardo Centurion who earned the spotlights, as he scored a late winner. His behaviour off the pitch has often led to controversy but he can be of real value to Racing when he’s at his game. Just like he showed on Saturday. A 5th straight loss for Olimpo who are still in a relegation spot. Olimpo 1 x 2 Racing Club.

Sunday

Banfield managed to progress to the next round in the Libertadores qualifiers midweek. A tough away trip to Ecuador in midweek did however result in a rotated starting eleven for Banfield. The Banfield ‘reserves’ did well last week but came just short in Cordoba where they visited Talleres. La T secured a 1-0 victory over Banfield and sit in 2nd, 7 points behind league leaders Boca Juniors. Banfield won’t be too upset with the result; they’ve got an important Libertadores qualifier coming up against Uruguayan outfit Nacional. A win over two legs will see them compete in the group stages. Talleres 1 x 0 Banfield.

Godoy Cruz maintained their 100% home record in Mendoza with a 2-1 win over Belgrano. The scoreline was still level coming into the last 15 minutes of the game but Santiago Garcia’s goal kept all three points in Mendoza. A remarkable record. 21 points out of their 7 home games with 15 goals for and just 4 goals against them. However, they’ve only picked up 1 win on the road. They still in 4th due to their impeccable home record. A fortress. Godoy Cruz 2 x 1 Belgrano.

Boca Juniors were able to put more pressure on San Lorenzo as they faced Temperley in the Bombonera. San Lorenzo’s fixture against Independiente has been postponed meaning that Boca could extend their gap up to 9 points. Temperley were having none of that though and gave up a good fight. It took Boca 60 minutes to find the net, and they needed a bit of luck. Frank Fabra’s cross turned out to be a superb strike which ended up in the back of the net. A bit unfortunate for Temperley who were fighting well and had some chances themselves too. You had to feel for them, even more, when Carlos Tevez earned himself and Boca a penalty. A dive over the legs from one of the Temperley defenders saw Ariel Penel pointing to the spot. Justice was served though, as Josue Ayala managed to save Tevez’s spot-kick. It was all she wrote in the Bombonera. Boca Juniors 1 x 0 Temperley.

Lanus finally managed to recover from their continental hangover with a 1-0 win over Gallardo’s River Plate. A worrying result for the River fans; New signings Pratto and Armani both started while Quintero tried to leave his mark from the bench. Gallardo promised improvement after the window but River have yet to impress. An important win for El Granate, it was their first in 10 games. Lanus 1 x 0 River Plate.

Monday

Atletico Tucumán earned a narrow victory over San Martin in front of their home fans. Cult hero la Pulga Rodriguez opened the scoring from the spot in a game which could have seen tons of goals. Both sides wasted some good opportunities while both goalkeepers were in good form. Youngster Claudio Spinelli equalised from a corner 15 minutes after the break. A nice moment for the youngster as he scored on his debut. Javier Toledo made sure all points stayed in Tucumán with a late winner. Atletico Tucumán 2 x 1 San Martin.

Tigre picked up a much-needed victory over Argentinos Juniors. Another blow for Argentinos Juniors was the early departure of Lucas Barrios who pulled his hamstring. La Pantera will be out for a month. It was a deserved victory for the hosts who just sit above the relegation zone. Argentinos Juniors have enjoyed a fine start to the season and are safe from relegation for the near future. Tigre 2 x 0 Argentinos Juniors.

At last but definitely not least: Huracan x Rosario Central. A game which had it all: Goals, a red card, a missed penalty and some nice saves. The greyly haired Israel Damonte scored a brace for Huracan but it wasn’t enough. Rosario Central just edged El Globo in a thrilling 2-3 victory. Mauricio Martinez got himself sent off in the 72nd minute in quite remarkable fashion. Damonte caught Central’s goalie off his line and chipped him from 20 yards out. Martinez saw no other option but tipping the ball over the goal with his hands. A clear penalty but he knew what he had done and went off the pitch with a regretful smile. Fernando Coniglio skied the penalty and Central even added a 3rd in the 87th minute. Israel Damonte scored his second three minutes later but it was too little too late. Huracan 2 x 3 Rosario Central.