Argentinos Juniors claimed a hard-fought victory against Sarmiento in the first round of the Apertura tournament, finishing the match 1-0. Tomás Molina was the hero of the day, scoring a decisive goal in the 51st minute of the second half.
The goal came after Molina successfully headed the ball into the net, following a corner delivered by Leandro Lozano from the right.
The match was intense, with Alan Lescano of Argentinos Juniors hitting the post twice, which denied them additional celebration.
Tomás Molina was undoubtedly the standout player of the match, not only for his goal but also for his six shots on target against Sarmiento.
On the other side, Sarmiento’s goalkeeper, Javier Burrai, had an impressive performance, making eight saves to limit Argentinos Juniors’ scoreline.
Notably, Sarmiento’s Jhon Renteria showcased his skills by leaving Alan Lescano in the dust with a brilliant nutmeg at the 21-minute mark in the first half.
The coach of Argentinos Juniors, Nicolás Diez, lined up with a 4-3-3 formation featuring Brayan Cortés in goal, supported by defenders Leandro Lozano, Francisco Álvarez, Tobías Ramírez Cardozo, and Sebastián Prieto; while Alan Lescano, Federico Fattori, and Nicolás Oroz controlled the midfield, and the attacking trio included Diego Porcel, Tomás Molina, and Lautaro Giaccone.
Sarmiento, coached by Facundo Sava, opted for a tactical 4-4-2 setup with Javier Burrai guarding the goal, and a defensive lineup of Juan Manuel Cabrera, Renzo Orihuela, Juan Manuel Insaurralde, and Yair Arismendi. The midfield comprised Santiago Salle, Cristian Zabala, Manuel García, and Jhon Renteria, leaving Junior Marabel and Diego Churín at the front.
The match was officiated by referee Andrés Gariano.
In the next round, Argentinos Juniors will visit Estudiantes (RC), while Sarmiento will face Banfield at their home ground, Estadio Eva Perón.
Substitutions for Argentinos Juniors
64’ 2T – Sebastián Prieto was replaced by Leandro Fernández
72’ 2T – Nicolás Oroz was replaced by Ryoga Kida
Yellow Cards for Argentinos Juniors:
27’ 1T Tobías Ramírez Cardozo, 38’ 1T Francisco Álvarez, 53’ 2T Tomás Molina
Substitutions for Sarmiento
45’ 2T – Juan Manuel Cabrera was replaced by Julián Contreras
56’ 2T – Jhon Renteria was replaced by Carlos Villalba and Junior Marabel was replaced by Brandon Márquez
73’ 2T – Cristian Zabala was replaced by Gaston Arturia
83’ 2T – Diego Churín was replaced by Ulises Delgado and Francisco Álvarez was replaced by Facundo Jainikoski
Yellow Cards for Sarmiento:
21’ 1T Juan Manuel Insaurralde, 33’ 1T Juan Manuel Cabrera, 6’ 2T Jhon Renteria, 16’ 2T Brandon Márquez, 24’ 2T Facundo Sava, 47’ 2T Carlos Villalba
Red Card for Sarmiento:
14’ 2T Juan Manuel Insaurralde (Direct Red)