Fecha 13 in Argentina did not turn into unlucky number 13 for Atletico Tucumán, whose victory over Central Cordoba meant that they remain top of the division. Elsewhere, River Plate won, Boca Juniors drew, while Copa Libertadores semi-finalists Velez Sarsfield were held by Gimnasia. Two losing Libertadores quarter-finalists also met as Talleres Cordoba took on Estudiantes.
Tucumán back to winning ways
After a slip-up last weekend, Tucumán put that behind them with a 1-0 victory over Central Cordoba.
The goal came in the 54th minute when Gabriel Risso’s cross was headed in by Renzo Tesuri in a textbook manner: firing it low and into the ground before it bounced into the net, leaving the goalkeeper Cesar Rigamonti with no chance.
It was a fairly even game possession-wise, but Tucumán’s 17 shots to Cordoba’s 9 were the difference.
The league leaders will play Tigre next, as they look to keep their place at the top of the division.
Sigue la pelea por el ingreso a las Copas de @CONMEBOL 🏆
Así quedó la tabla general de la #LigaProfesional tras la disputa de la #Fecha13 del #TorneoBinance 🔝 pic.twitter.com/cqbxjW7Sx0
— Liga Profesional de Fútbol (@LigaAFA) August 15, 2022
River putting together form
River Plate made it back-to-back wins – their fourth in five – as they tore apart Newell’s Old Boys 4-1.
Pablo Solari got them underway as his shot deflected past Lautaro Morales in the 32nd minute.
Three minutes later, Palavecino threaded the ball to Solari, who scored his second, as he guided his low shot past Morales and into the corner of the net.
¡¡GANÓ RIVER!! ⚪️❤️⚪️ pic.twitter.com/m7Wp7Wlj6d
— River Plate (@RiverPlate) August 14, 2022
Pablo Perez who came on at halftime halved Newell’s deficit when he headed into an open net in the 64th minute.
But Los Millonarios extended their lead again in the 72nd minute when Javier Pinola headed in from a Palavecino corner which was his third assist of the game.
The victory was sealed in the 80th minute thanks to another golazo from Matias Suarez who lobbed the ball with a first-time effort over Morales and into the top corner.
It was a deserved victory for Marcelo Gallardo’s side who had 61% possession and 7 shots on target to Newell’s 2.
Boca and Racing Stalemate
Boca Juniors and Racing played out a 0-0 draw. The result was Boca’s first draw in this season’s Liga Profesional.
Fernando Gago’s side dominated possession-wise with 67%, but when it came to chances created it was Los Xeneizes who had the upper hand with 7 shots on target to La Academia’s 6.
Next up for Boca sees Carlos Tevez return to La Bombonera with his Rosario Central side, in an interesting midweek matchup on Thursday.
Velez held to draw with Gimnasia
Velez Sarsfield booked their place in the semi-finals of the Copa Libertadores with a 4-2 aggregate win over Talleres Cordoba during the week. But they could only manage a 1-1 draw with Gimnasia when league action resumed.
Velez thought they had taken the lead in the 19th minute when Leonardo Morales bundled the ball into the back of his own net. However, his blushes were spared when Lucas Pratto was deemed to be offside and the goal was disallowed.
They eventually had a goal that stood when Abiel Osorio gave them the lead in the 72nd minute. But it did not take long before the score was level again as three minutes later Ramon Sosa flicked the ball onto Morales who put the ball into the right net this time.
His goal ensured the points were shared but with 68% possession, Velez may have felt they should have won the game.
Velez will play Flamengo in the first leg of their Libertadores semi-final on the 31st of August.
Estudiantes beat Talleres
Estudiantes and Talleres Cordoba were both knocked out of the Copa Libertadores during the week, and were looking to bounce back at the weekend.
The two losing quarter-finalists faced off in the Liga Profesional and it was Los Pincharratas who took the three points on this occasion as they won 1-0. The goal came late in the 94th minute when Emmanuel Mas’s cross was swept in by Leonardo Heredia.
⚽ ¡Vuelta al triunfo en el torneo! Mirá el golazo agónico de Leo Heredia para vencer 1-0 a Talleres. ¡Arriba Estudiantes! 💪🇦🇹@EstudiantesPlay 🎥 pic.twitter.com/0SXD4fPpLR
— Estudiantes de La Plata (@EdelpOficial) August 15, 2022
Estudiantes had 67% possession while Talleres had 18 shots but only managed 2 on target while their opponents had just 8 shots with 2 on target.
