The Avenida Stadium hosted an exciting clash between Unión and Gimnasia in the knockout stage, where the visitors emerged victorious with a score of 2-1. Manuel Panaro opened the scoring in the 17th minute after a well-executed play. Shortly after, Enzo Martínez headed in the second goal at the 23rd minute, putting Gimnasia in a strong position.
Despite Unión’s efforts to shift the momentum in their favor, they only managed to find the back of the net once, thanks to Cristian Tarragona, who scored in the 53rd minute after a powerful shot.
Unión’s forward, Diego Díaz, nearly equalized in the 80th minute, but his effort hit the post, denying them a crucial goal.
Even though Unión dominated the shot count with 23 attempts compared to Gimnasia’s 7, they couldn’t capitalize on their chances. Of those attempts, 11 were on target, while 10 missed the mark, and one was thwarted by the post.
Julián Palacios stood out as the match’s top performer, completing 64 successful passes and recovering 2 balls for Unión. Nicolás Barros Schelotto was also influential for Gimnasia, with 16 effective passes and 3 tackles.
Leonardo Madelón, Unión’s coach, deployed a 4-4-2 formation with Matías Tagliamonte in goal, surrounded by Lautaro Vargas, Alex Maizon Rodriguez, Valentín Fascendini, and Mateo Del Blanco in defense. The midfield comprised Julián Palacios, Mauro Pittón, Mauricio Martínez, and Franco Fragapane, with Cristian Tarragona and Agustín Colazo up front.
On the other hand, Fernando Zaniratto’s Gimnasia opted for a 4-5-1 setup, featuring Nelson Insfrán between the sticks; Juan Pintado, Renzo Giampaoli, Enzo Martínez, and Pedro Silva Torrejón in defense; Augusto Max, Nicolás Barros Schelotto, Manuel Panaro, Bautista Merlini, and Alejandro Piedrahita in midfield; and Marcelo Torres as the forward.
Referee Sebastián Martínez officiated the intense encounter at Avenida Stadium.
With this victory over Unión, Gimnasia has secured a place in the quarterfinals of the tournament.
Substitutions for Unión
45’ 2T – Franco Fragapane out, Nicolás Palavecino in
63’ 2T – Mauricio Martínez out, Augusto Solari in; Lautaro Vargas out, Emiliano Álvarez in
64’ 2T – Agustín Colazo out, Marcelo Estigarribia in
76’ 2T – Julián Palacios out, Diego Díaz in
Yellow cards for Unión:
25’ 1T Mauricio Martínez (Unsportsmanlike conduct); 38’ 2T Valentín Fascendini (Holding an opponent to prevent advance)
Substitutions for Gimnasia
66’ 2T – Bautista Merlini out, Pablo Aguiar in; Alejandro Piedrahita out, Jeremías Merlo in
85’ 2T – Nicolás Barros Schelotto out, Germán Conti in; Manuel Panaro out, Norberto Briasco in
90’ 2T – Marcelo Torres out, Jan Hurtado in
Yellow cards for Gimnasia:
27’ 1T Enzo Martínez (Unsportsmanlike conduct); 46’ 1T Augusto Max (Holding an opponent to prevent advance); 37’ 2T Nicolás Barros Schelotto (Arguing with an opponent); 46’ 2T Nelson Insfrán (Delaying the game)