Ascacibar Strike Seals Narrow Win for Junior Over Estudiantes
Boca Juniors edged past Estudiantes de La Plata 1–0 in the Clausura stage of Argentina's professional league on 5 August. Santiago Ascacibar's stoppage-time goal proved decisive in a contest where the hosts controlled territory but struggled to convert their dominance.
The breakthrough came just before half-time when Ascacibar found the net at 45+1 minutes. Estudiantes had already seen Lucas Piovi booked by the 56th minute, and the hosts started to impose themselves after the interval. Three changes followed for the visitors—Fabricio Perez, Miguel Merentiel and A. Castro were withdrawn between the 60th and 68th minutes as Junior began to settle into their rhythm.
Junior's statistics told a familiar story: 61 per cent possession, 124 attacks, but only two shots on target from seven attempts inside the penalty area. They registered 0.77 expected goals and created just two big chances. Estudiantes, meanwhile, managed four shots on target from five attempts inside the box, yet their 0.37 expected goals reflected the scarcity of clear-cut opportunities. The hosts' 175 passes into the final third contrasted sharply with the visitors' 54.
Yellow cards accumulated as the match wore on. Alejandro Castro and Lucas Flores were cautioned in the 68th and 74th minutes, while Gabriel Neves and Gaston Benedetti added their names to the list at 78 and 90 minutes. Junior made five substitutions in total, bringing on T. Aranda, L. Flores, L. Piovi and two others to see out the result.
The victory kept Junior in second place with 30 points from 16 games—eight wins, six draws and two defeats. Estudiantes remain top with 31 points, having won nine and drawn four. Junior's recent form has been uneven, including a 2–2 draw with Newell's Old Boys and a 0–3 loss to Restra, while Estudiantes' 3–0 victory over Defensa y Justicia earlier this week ended a barren spell.
Junior had to grind out the win, and they did so by holding their shape and waiting for the moment. Ascacibar's goal may have come late, but it was the reward for sustained pressure. Estudiantes had their chances, but they could not find a way back into a game they rarely threatened.
