Match Report
The table read 5th (Newell's Old Boys, 11 pts) against 3rd (Rosario Central, 25 pts), 14 points apart. The last five rounds placed Newell's Old Boys no better than 40th for form, against 5th in the standings. Against a league average of 1.04 goals per team per game, Newell's Old Boys ran at 1.14 scored and 0.86 conceded, Rosario Central at 1.29 and 1.07.
A win had eluded Newell's Old Boys for 8 matches. Newell's Old Boys had banked 1 of the last 15 points on offer; Rosario Central, 10.
The head-to-head ledger counts 18 games: 2 Newell's Old Boys wins, 11 for Rosario Central, 5 draws, at 1.44 goals per meeting. Home advantage has meant little here: 33% of the meetings went to the host. These meetings skew tight — only 22% saw more than two goals.
The match was played at Estadio Marcelo Alberto Bielsa (capacity 42,000). Half-time and full-time told different stories: it was 0-0 at the break, before 2 more goals closed it at 0-2.
Goal scorers
Rosario Central: Ángel Di María (51'), Enzo Copetti (81')
Key stats
Possession: Newell's Old Boys 38% · Rosario Central 62% · Total shots: 7-11 · On target: 2-6 · Corners: 1-8