Deportivo Recoleta saw off Guaireña 3-1 in the Round of 16 of the Copa Paraguay on September 24th. The hosts took control early, with A. J. Arce Ortiz finding the net in the 42nd minute before half-time. Guaireña responded through A. Gonzalez in the 59th, but Recoleta held firm and pulled away in the second period. W. Baez and R. Martino added goals in the 75th and 82nd to settle the tie.
And here's the thing about that first half: Recoleta controlled the tempo without needing to dominate possession. They had 62 per cent of the ball but relied on direct play rather than circulating it. Guaireña's 38 per cent was a reflection of their willingness to let the hosts have it. The visitors tried to work through the wide areas, but the throw-ins told a different story — 32 for Guaireña against 26 for the hosts, suggesting they were doing more of the legwork.
The second period brought a shift that Guaireña couldn't match. Baez's goal in the 75th minute came after a period of sustained pressure, and Martino's strike two minutes later stretched the back line beyond recovery. To be fair, Guaireña had their chances — five shots off target and two on target — but they never quite found the rhythm they needed. Three yellow cards for the hosts showed the physical nature of the contest.
By then, the statistics told a fuller story. Recoleta registered 100 attacks compared to Guaireña's 93, but their efficiency was markedly better. Five shots on target yielded two goals, while Guaireña's two on target produced only one. The expected output didn't match the final score, but football rarely works that way. One or two moments decide these ties, and Recoleta had the sharper edge.
The result means Deportivo Recoleta advance to the quarter-finals, while Guaireña's campaign comes to an end. Both sides had lost form in recent weeks — Recoleta had dropped points in five of their last six, and Guaireña had managed just one win in their previous five. This knockout stage is where those runs get forgotten. The table goes out of the window in these games, and 3-1 is the only figure that matters now.
