In an exciting match on the fourth round of the Clausura, Estudiantes held strong at home to defeat Independiente Riv. (M) 2-1 this Thursday. The home side opened the scoring in the 7th minute when Fabricio Pérez skillfully found the back of the net. Leandro González Pirez doubled the lead just before halftime, scoring with a powerful header in the 39th minute. Independiente Riv. (M) managed to reduce the deficit shortly after the break, as Sebastián Villa converted a penalty in the 48th minute.
González Pirez’s header in the first half earned him accolades from the fans, showcasing a clinical finish to a well-placed assist by Pérez.
Pérez not only scored the first goal but also was the standout player of the match, registering 4 shots on goal and completing 15 successful passes.
Santiago Ascacíbar also demonstrated a solid performance for Estudiantes, completing 54 passes and making 2 successful tackles.
Under the guidance of coach Eduardo Domínguez, Estudiantes lined up in a 4-3-3 formation, featuring Fernando Muslera in goal; defenders Román Gómez, Leandro González Pirez, Facundo Rodríguez, and Gastón Benedetti; a midfield trio of Santiago Ascacíbar, Mikel Amondarain, and Cristian Medina; and an attacking front of Fabricio Pérez, Lucas Alario, and Tiago Palacios.
Independiente Riv. (M), led by Alfredo Berti, deployed a 4-4-2 formation with Ezequiel Centurión in goal, backed by defenders Luciano Gómez, Iván Villalba, Sheyko Studer, and Pedro Souto; a midfield comprising Tomas Bottari, Nicolás Retamar, Maximiliano Amarfil, and Thomas Ortega; and forwards Alex Arce and Sebastián Villa.
The officiating was conducted by Sebastián Zunino at the Tierra de Campeones stadium.
Looking ahead, Estudiantes will visit Banfield in their next match, while Independiente Riv. (M) will host Boca Juniors.
Substitutions for Estudiantes
63' 2T – Tiago Palacios was substituted for José Sosa
64' 2T – Fabricio Pérez off for Edwuin Cetré and Lucas Alario off for Facundo Farías
74' 2T – Mikel Amondarain off for Guido Carrillo
77' 2T – Cristian Medina off for Santiago Núñez
Yellow Cards for Estudiantes:
15' 2T Román Gómez (Unsporting Behavior), 33' 2T Santiago Ascacíbar (Unsporting Behavior), 38' 2T Facundo Farías (Unsporting Behavior), and 47' 2T Leandro González Pirez (Abusive language towards the referee)
Red Card for Estudiantes:
47' 2T Gastón Benedetti (Direct red)
Substitutions for Independiente Riv. (M)
45' 2T – Thomas Ortega off for Matías Fernandez and Alex Arce off for Fabrizio Sartori
70' 2T – Tomas Bottari off for Juan Barbieri and Nicolás Retamar off for Santiago Muñoz
71' 2T – Luciano Gómez off for Mauricio Cardillo
Yellow Cards for Independiente Riv. (M):
44' 1T Tomas Bottari (Unsporting Behavior) and 22' 2T Matías Fernandez (Unsporting Behavior)