In the Primera División game on 3 August 2026, Caracas FC beat Estudiantes de Merida FC 2:2. Match numbers: shots on target 4:5, corners 9:6.
Match report
Caracas and Estudiantes Share Points in Dramatic Clausura Opener
Caracas and Estudiantes de Mérida played out a 2:2 draw in the opening round of the Clausura tournament on Sunday evening. The hosts took the lead through R. Ivey before going down to ten men, only to survive a late penalty shootout of sorts and salvage a point. Both sides ended the match with two red cards between them, and the result leaves Caracas still in ninth place while Estudiantes remain sixth.
R. Ivey broke the deadlock in the thirty-fourth minute, and it looked as though Caracas might add to their advantage when J. De Santis appeared to score in the forty-second. The goal was cancelled by VAR for offside, and the frustration showed when E. E. Fereira Penaranda was sent off just before half-time. Estudiantes came out with a man advantage and began to control the tempo, though they could not find the net until the second half.
The turning point came in the seventy-sixth minute. J. De Santis missed a penalty but then scored from open play, and that goal kept Estudiantes in the hunt. Caracas responded by pushing forward, and W. S. Ramirez Holguin converted a penalty in the ninety-first minute to level the score. J. Yendis then struck for Estudiantes in the ninety-third minute, only to pick up a second yellow card moments later.
Caracas dominated possession at 55 per cent and created more chances, but their efficiency was questionable. They registered four shots on target from ten attempts, while Estudiantes managed five on target from eleven. The hosts created three big chances compared to just one for the visitors, yet the final scoreline suggests both sides wasted opportunities.
The result did little to shift the standings. Caracas sit on twenty-five points from twenty-one games, while Estudiantes sit on thirty-two. Both teams have been inconsistent — Caracas have not won in their last five outings, and Estudiantes have lost four of their last five matches. The draw may feel like a missed opportunity for both.
Prepared from match data
Key numbers
Possession, %55.00–45
Shots on target4–5
Shots off target6–6
Big chances3–1
HT⇄17' C. Magallan — Substitution⚽34' R. Ivey — Goal42' J. De Santis — var_goal_cancelled_-_offside🟥45+4' E. E. Fereira Penaranda — Red card⇄46' M. Marquez — Substitution🟨63' J. Yendis — Yellow card⇄66' W. Correa — Substitution✗76' J. De Santis — Penalty missed⚽76' J. De Santis — Goal⇄78' A. Montero — Substitution⇄83' M. Maldonado — Substitution⇄85' J. De Santis — Substitution⚽90+1' W. S. Ramirez Holguin — Penalty⚽90+3' J. Yendis — Goal🟥90+6' J. Yendis — Red card
