Atlético Balboa secured a 4-2 victory over Águila in the fifth round of the Apertura stage of the Primera División on Friday evening. The visitors took all three points despite their hosts dominating possession and territory for long stretches of the match.
The opening half contained the most drama. Águila missed a penalty in the fourteenth minute and failed to take advantage of their early momentum. Then came a flurry of goals before the break: M. Diaz pulled one back for the home side in the 50th minute, only for S. Ayala and O. Martinez to fire Atlético Balboa ahead before half-time. Martinez struck again in the 55th minute to extend the lead.
Águila responded through J. Renteria, who converted a penalty in the 62nd minute to bring his side within one goal. But Atlético Balboa sealed the result with a late goal in the 100th minute, leaving their hosts with nothing to show for their dominance in possession.
The statistics tell an interesting story. Águila controlled 63 per cent of the ball and registered 133 attacks compared to 65 for the visitors. Yet they managed only 7 shots on target to Atlético Balboa's 6, and couldn't find the back of the net enough times to match their territorial advantage. Both sides picked up four yellow cards each.
The result keeps both teams in mid-table territory. Águila remain in 10th place with 6 points from 7 games, while Atlético Balboa move up to 7th with 9 points. Neither side has any real momentum — Águila have not won since May, and the visitors have drawn three of their last five.