Twenty-four matches without a loss at their stadium
En el fútbol argentino, donde la gloria y el olvido se separan por apenas un gol, Deportivo Riestra escaló a la cima de la Zona B del Clausura al vencer 2-0 a Central Córdoba en el Estadio Guillermo Laza. La victoria no fue solo un resultado: fue la confirmación de un proyecto que acumula veinticuatro partidos sin perder en casa y que ahora mira de frente la Copa Libertadores. Mientras Riestra avanza con convicción, Central Córdoba carga el peso de una final perdida y una clasificación internacional que se aleja.
- Riestra llegó a 16 puntos en la Zona B y aseguró su lugar en la Sudamericana 2026, con la Libertadores como horizonte real si sostiene el ritmo.
- Central Córdoba, todavía golpeado por la derrota en la Supercopa ante Vélez, no encontró respuestas y quedó fuera de los puestos de clasificación internacional.
- En el Parque Patricios, Huracán no pudo aprovechar la expulsión de Lagos ni la lesión del arquero rival: Montero le negó el gol a Urzi con una atajada providencial y el 0-0 dejó a ambos equipos con cuentas pendientes.
- En Rosario, Newell's sufrió durante un tiempo pero Cuesta apareció en el minuto 82 para romper el empate y Guch cerró la victoria 2-0 sobre Atlético Tucumán en el contragolpe.
- Lanús sumó tres puntos clave al vencer 1-0 a Independiente Rivadavia gracias a un gol de Walter Bou, acercándose al umbral de clasificación a la Sudamericana con 33 puntos en la tabla anual.
Deportivo Riestra se adueñó de la cima de la Zona B del Clausura argentino al derrotar 2-0 a Central Córdoba en el Estadio Guillermo Laza. Los goles de Antony Alonso y Jonathan Goitía no solo sellaron los tres puntos, sino que extendieron a veinticuatro la racha invicta del equipo de Tata Benítez como local y aseguraron la clasificación a la Sudamericana 2026, con la Libertadores aún al alcance si el equipo mantiene su posición en la tabla anual.
Central Córdoba llegó a Buenos Aires con el ánimo por el piso tras perder la Supercopa Argentina ante Vélez días antes. Esa herida se notó: el equipo santiagueño desperdició sus chances mientras Riestra convertía las suyas con eficacia. La derrota los dejó fuera de los puestos de clasificación internacional y con rivales directos listos para superarlos antes de que cerrara la fecha.
En el Parque Patricios, Huracán y Vélez empataron 0-0 en un partido marcado por la expulsión de Agustín Lagos al minuto 30 y la lesión del arquero Marchiori, reemplazado por el colombiano Álvaro Montero. Con un hombre menos, Vélez resistió, y Montero tapó un remate de Urzi que parecía gol. El empate dejó a Huracán con 12 puntos y a Vélez con 15, por debajo de los 16 de Riestra.
En Rosario, Newell's sufrió en el primer tiempo ante Atlético Tucumán, con el arquero Espínola salvando tres veces en los primeros minutos. Pero en el 82, Víctor Cuesta aprovechó un rebote para clavar el balón en el ángulo. Luego, Facundo Guch cerró el 2-0 en un contragolpe. Lanús, por su parte, venció 1-0 a Independiente Rivadavia con un gol de Walter Bou tras una combinación entre Moreno, Salvio y el propio delantero, sumando 33 puntos en la tabla anual y acercándose a la zona de clasificación continental.
La jornada redibujó el mapa del Clausura: Riestra lidera con autoridad, mientras varios equipos ajustan cuentas en una competencia donde cada fecha puede cambiar el rumbo de una temporada.
Deportivo Riestra claimed the top spot in Zone B of Argentina's Clausura tournament on Friday with a 2-0 victory over Central Córdoba at Estadio Guillermo Laza. Goals from Antony Alonso and Jonathan Goitía secured the win, extending the home side's unbeaten run at their stadium to twenty-four consecutive matches. The result was decisive not only for the standings but for Riestra's continental ambitions—the three points locked in their qualification for the 2026 Sudamericana and kept them within striking distance of third place in the annual table, which would earn a berth in next year's Copa Libertadores.
Central Córdoba arrived in Buenos Aires already wounded. The Santiago del Estero side had lost the Supercopa Argentina final to Vélez just days earlier, a defeat that seemed to drain something from them. Against a Riestra team operating under coach Tata Benítez, they lacked the sharpness needed to compete. Where Riestra converted their chances, Central Córdoba squandered theirs. The loss left the visitors outside the qualification zones for international competition and complicated their standing within their own group, with several direct rivals capable of leapfrogging them before the round concluded.
In an interzonal match at Parque Patricios, Huracán and Vélez played to a goalless draw in a contest shaped by circumstance and discipline. Vélez's Agustín Lagos was sent off in the thirtieth minute for a second yellow card, leaving the visitors with ten men for the remainder of the first half and beyond. The dismissal might have tilted the match decisively in Huracán's favor, but the home side could not capitalize on their numerical advantage. Vélez's goalkeeper Tomás Marchiori had departed injured earlier in the half, replaced by Colombian Álvaro Montero, who made a spectacular save late in the second half to deny Agustín Urzi from distance. The draw left Huracán with twelve points in Zone A, still within playoff contention, while Vélez reached fifteen points in Zone B—enough to stay competitive but not enough to overtake Riestra's sixteen.
In Rosario, Newell's defeated Atlético Tucumán 2-0 in a match that turned on a moment of defensive alertness. The first half belonged largely to the visitors, who pressed and created chances while Newell's struggled to generate rhythm in midfield. Juan Espínola, Newell's goalkeeper, made three saves in the opening minutes alone. The teams went to the break level, but in the eighty-second minute, defender Víctor Cuesta pounced on a loose ball in the Tucumán area and fired it into the upper corner. Late in the match, with Tucumán pushing for an equalizer, Facundo Guch capitalized on a counterattack initiated by Giovani Chiaverano to seal the victory.
Lanús edged Independiente Rivadavia 1-0 at home, with Walter Bou scoring the decisive goal in the second half. The match began with Rivadavia's Sebastián Villa creating problems down the flanks, but Lanús found their opening when Marcelino Moreno fed Eduardo Salvio on the left wing. Salvio's low cross found Bou arriving at the far post for a clean finish. The result moved Lanús to thirteen points in Zone A and brought them closer to the Sudamericana qualification threshold on the annual table, where they now sit with thirty-three points. Rivadavia, meanwhile, remained at eight points in Zone B and outside the international competition picture.
These results reshaped the landscape of Argentina's Clausura tournament. Riestra's ascent to the summit of Zone B, combined with the draws and victories elsewhere, left multiple teams jockeying for playoff positions and continental qualification. The tournament's structure—split into two zones with interzonal matches—meant that a single weekend could alter trajectories significantly. For Riestra, the path forward looked promising. For Central Córdoba and others struggling to find form, the pressure mounted with each passing round.
Notable Quotes
Riestra's unbeaten home record extended to twenty-four consecutive matches— Match report
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does Riestra's home record matter so much in a single match report?
Because it signals something about their identity. Twenty-four matches without a loss at home isn't just a statistic—it's a fortress. When you're reporting on a team claiming the top spot, that kind of consistency tells you they're not a flash in the pan.
Central Córdoba lost a final just days before this match. Did that loss break them?
It's hard to say definitively, but the timing is brutal. They came into this game already deflated, and Riestra was sharp. Sometimes a team needs time to recover from that kind of disappointment. Central Córdoba didn't get it.
The Vélez-Huracán match sounds like it could have gone either way.
It could have, but Vélez's injury to their goalkeeper and then the red card—those are the kinds of moments that define a match. Huracán had the chance to punish them and didn't. That's football.
What's the significance of the annual table versus the Clausura table?
The annual table determines who qualifies for the Sudamericana. The Clausura table determines playoff positions within the tournament. Riestra is now positioned well on both fronts, which is why this win matters beyond just the three points.
Does Newell's victory feel complete, or was it messy?
It was a match where one team controlled the first half and the other controlled the second. Newell's weathered the early storm and struck when it counted. That's not always pretty, but it's effective.