Estudiantes achieved a Cup victory against Defensa

Play thinking about the table. That was the question. The one from the tournament? No: the general one. For Studentswhich in this League Cup He managed to string together more draws and defeats than victories like the one he achieved last night. And also for a Defending which is somewhat better positioned in the domestic championship but after the setback against LDU Quito in the Sudamericana they could barely win once. And then, he must defend what he has achieved to stay in the qualification zone for the Libertadores. Something that could not be done in La Plata.

In that line, Students initially understood better the tension with which Defense had to play. Pressing him was a last rival line that played forward and tried low-calorie passes. This is how he warned that he could hurt through a shot from Rollheiser and then confirmed his ambition via Zapiola: Godoy, from the side, sent a cross into the area that Carrillo combed and that the youth ended up defining with an impeccable volley behind Tripicchio’s back.

Although Defensa warned that it could hurt – a long shot by Soto was excellently dominated by Santiago Solari, who finished just off the mark one-on-one with Andújar – the local team insisted on its script: a homogeneous style of play with touches of distinction from Sosa that carried it , again, to anticipate that another goal could come. In fact, the first half ended with a header from Corcho Rodríguez that hit the crossbar. What happened at the start of the second? It was 2-0: a great ball for Carrillo who dominated and unloaded for Zuqui. The playmaker kicked and missed, but he captured the rebound and – feint to deceive Fiermarín – defined with a little touch.

It is as true that Defensa closed the gap with the penalty thanks to Núñez as it is that Estudiantes did not lose control of the match. And for that reason, beyond the fact that the advantages were not large enough for the goal difference to improve, the victory helped Eduardo Domínguez’s team to be within striking distance of the Cup. With the table between an eyebrow and an eyebrow.