Match Centre

Sarmiento Junín's 1-1 draw with Barracas Central flattered the hosts, who were outplayed in every key attacking metric. Barracas dominated possession (72%) and created far superior chances, reflected in their xG of 2.76 compared to Sarmiento's meagre 0.81. Despite firing 21 shots (13 inside the box) to Sarmiento's 7, Barracas were undone by profligate finishing and a resolute Sarmiento defence.

Sarmiento took an early lead through Jhon Rentería's 14th-minute strike, assisted by Cristian Zabala, but failed to build on it. Barracas' persistence paid off when Rodrigo Insua converted a 78th-minute penalty, the culmination of sustained pressure. Junior Marabel had a late goal disallowed by VAR, but Sarmiento's goalkeeper made four saves to keep them in the game.

The decisive statistic was Barracas' 2.76 xG versus Sarmiento's 0.81, underlining Barracas' superiority and Sarmiento's reliance on good fortune to secure a point.