In Hugo Tocalli’s last game as coach of the Primera, Independiente beat him 2 to 1 with Banfield at home for the fifth round of the Professional League and finished the first half in the international cup zone.
With the goals from Santiago López – the first with the Independiente shirt – and Gabriel Ávalos from a penalty, the Avellaneda team achieved its first victory in the tournament, while Banfield lost all three games as a visitor.
After three minutes, a long ball from Federico Mancuello, and a rebound in the area, left López with the ball dominated. The youth hooked twice against the defense and scored at the near post for a great goal, his first in the Rojo shirt.
But at 28 minutes, Ignacio Rodríguez put in a cross from the left that Bruno Sepúlveda headed in. Rodrigo Rey contained that shot but on the rebound, Giménez tied the score at 1-1.
At the end of the match, Joaquín Laso was reckless in the area and knocked down the Banfield attacker. The play was reviewed in the VAR by referee Nicolás Ramírez and a penalty was awarded. Giménez took charge of the execution but Rey stopped him from finishing.
For the start of the complement, at five minutes, the newly introduced Alex Luna escaped from the right and stepped into the area but Cristian Núñez knocked him down so Ramírez took a penalty. Ávalos did not fail and made it 2 to 1.
By the end of the match, Banfield was left with one less due to a kick from Quirós to Ávalos, which left him feeling on the grass when he caught him on the ground after a sweep.
Synthesis
Stadium: Liberators of America.
Referee: Nicolás Ramírez.
Independent: Rodrigo Rey; Juan Fedorco, Iván Marcone, Joaquín Laso; Santiago Salle, Lautaro Millán, Ruben Martínez, Damián Pérez; Federico Mancuello; Santiago López and Gabriel Ávalos. DT: Hugo Tocalli.
Banfield: Facundo Sanguinetti; Juan Álvarez, Alejandro Maciel, Mateo Pérez, Aarón Quirós, Emanuel Insúa; Matías González, Cristian Núñez, Ignacio Rodríguez; Milton Giménez and Bruno Sepúlveda. DT: Julio César Falcioni.
Goals in the first half: 3m Santiago López (I); 28m Milton Giménez (B).
Goals in the second half: 7m Gabriel Ávalos -penalty- (I).
Expelled in the second half: 43m Aarón Quirós (B).
Incidents in the first half: 45m Rodrigo Rey (I) saved a penalty from Milton Giménez (B).
Changes in the second half: at the start Alex Luna for Mancuello (I); Felipe Aguilar for Millán (I); 31m Braian Galván by M. González (B); 35m Juan Quintana by Pérez (B); Juan Iribarren for Álvarez (B); 38m Gabriel Neves for López (I); 46m Alexis Canelo for Ávalos (I).
