Fernandez Stuns Tucuman as Central Edge 5-Goal Thriller 3-2

Rosario Central Snatch Victory in Liga Profesional Argentina Clausura Firecracker

Rosario Central broke Atletico Tucuman hearts with a pulsating 3-2 victory in the Liga Profesional Argentina Clausura – Round 13, Julian Fernandez’s 80th-minute strike snatching three points after the hosts had clawed back from two goals down.

The Monumental Jose Fierro erupted in disbelief after just three minutes. Angel Di Maria, all twinkling feet and wicked delivery, curled a free-kick onto the head of Gaston Avila. The defender powered home. Silence. Then disbelief again three minutes later – Avila again, smashing in Giovanni Cantizano’s cutback. 2-0. A nightmare start.

Tucuman’s response was pure defiance. Pedro Canelo volleyed home Ramiro Ruiz Rodriguez’s cross on 37 minutes – the stadium roared back to life. One minute later, Leonel Di Placido saw yellow as the tackles flew in. Then, five minutes before half-time, Ruiz Rodriguez turned hero, sliding onto Leandro Diaz’s pass to level. Bedlam.

Atletico Tucuman’s Valiant Fightback Falls Short

The second half crackled with tension. Diaz’s yellow on 61 minutes for a late lunge. Cantizano joining him in the book nine minutes later as Central’s grip on midfield slipped. Tucuman smelt blood. Their 15 total shots to Central’s 16 told the story of a team refusing to die.

But football is cruel. On 80 minutes, Alan Rodriguez fed substitute Fernandez who stabbed home through a crowd of legs. The away end exploded. Tucuman’s 34% possession had been heroic, their 1.42 xG showing they’d earned parity. Yet Central’s 0.77 xG efficiency proved decisive.

What This Means for Rosario Central and Atletico Tucuman

For Central, this was streetwise survival. Di Maria’s creative spark (2 key passes), Avila’s unlikely brace, and Fernandez’s ice-cold finish papered over cracks in their 66% possession game. Three points on the road, but questions remain.

Tucuman? Agony. Falcioni’s men had battled back through Canelo and Ruiz Rodriguez, their 12 shots inside the box a testament to relentless pressure. Yet defensive lapses cost them. This defeat will sting – but the fight shown bodes well for the Clausura run-in.

Two teams left everything on that pitch. One goes home heartbroken. The other? Just about surviving.