Match Report
On paper the standings were lopsided — Excursionistas 1st with 62 points, Deportivo Merlo 14th with 39, 23 apart. Deportivo Merlo had been under-performing their position — 20th on five-round form against 14th in the table. Per game in the league, Excursionistas were scoring 1.48 and conceding 0.82, Deportivo Merlo 1.03 and 1.45, against a competition average of 0.98 goals per team per game.
Excursionistas carried an 8-game unbeaten run into this, having scored in 7 consecutive games. Over the last five, Excursionistas had taken 11 of 15 points to Deportivo Merlo's 5.
6 meetings are on record — 4 won by Excursionistas, 2 by Deportivo Merlo, 0 drawn, at 3.67 goals per meeting. The pattern favours whoever hosts: home teams have won 83% of the meetings. Goals tend to flow: 100% of the meetings produced three or more, and both sides scored in 100%.
The venue was Estadio de Excursionistas, with room for 8,000 spectators. Half-time and full-time told different stories: Excursionistas led 3-0 at the break, before 2 more goals closed it at 5-0.
Goal scorers
Excursionistas: Maximo Blanco (3'), Alan Espeche (35'), Matias Polvera (43'), Willian Giménez (82'), Miguel López (85')
Key stats
Possession: Excursionistas 60% · Deportivo Merlo 40% · Total shots: 9-7 · On target: 7-2 · Corners: 4-1