Deportivo Santaní put on a clinical display to beat Sol de América 3:0 in the Intermedia tournament, Regular Season - 25. The match took place on 2026-09-18 and the result moves the hosts closer to their European ambitions.
E. Villalba was the man of the hour, netting three goals in the space of thirteen minutes. The Paraguayan striker opened the scoring in the 60th minute, added a second in the 69th and completed his hat-trick in the 73rd. There had been a scare in the 59th minute when a penalty was missed, but the hosts kept their heads and took them apart after the break.
And here's the thing about the statistics: Sol de América dominated possession at 56 per cent but could only muster three shots on target. Deportivo Santaní, with 44 per cent of the ball, hit nine shots on target and lost five more. By then the game was already decided, and the shots told the real story.
We had backed the hosts to win with 39 per cent confidence before kick-off, and it pays to trust your instincts when the data points that way. Villalba turned it around after the break, and the academy graduate marked his first start with a goal. The visitors had the deeper squad on paper, but things came to a head in the final third where it mattered.
The victory lifts Deportivo Santaní to third place with 45 points from 24 games, while Sol de América remain fifth on 37 points. The hosts have not won since their last defeat in August, and this run of form gives them momentum going into the final stretch.
What this means in practice is that the gap between third and fifth is now eight points, and Sol de América will need to find a way to win matches they are currently drawing themselves out of. Deportivo Santaní have the deeper squad and money has come for the hosts, so expectations are rising accordingly.
