Defensores de Belgrano edged past San Martín Formosa 1-0 in the Winners Stage of the Torneo Federal A on Saturday evening. The visitors had been top of the table, but a second-half goal and a red card changed the complexion of the match. By then, the game had already shifted away from the opening exchanges.
Defensores made their breakthrough in the 70th minute when Jeronimo Avalos found the net. It came after a period where both sides had been trading yellow cards, with the away side receiving three in quick succession. The visitors found themselves down to ten men by then, and that made all the difference.
There was a red card in the 55th minute, which came shortly after two yellows in the same minute. The home side had been disciplined earlier as well, collecting their first caution in the 20th minute. And here's the thing — you could see the shape change once the game opened up.
Defensores registered six shots on target to San Martín's three, though they also had eight attempts off target. Possession was fairly even at 52-48, but the visitors were reduced to ten men for the final quarter. They worked a few short corners but couldn't turn pressure into chances.
The result means Defensores move closer to the top half, sitting fifth on ten points from seven games. San Martín Formosa remain first on thirteen points from six matches, but the gap feels smaller now. We had backed the hosts at 40 per cent confidence, and it paid off — not through dominance, but through patience and timing.