Mercedes saw off first-placed Sachakipass 2-0 in the Regular Season round 25 of Primera C on Friday evening. The home side took all three points despite sitting eight places below their opponents in the table. And here's the thing — results like this remind you that form goes out the window on matchday.
The breakthrough came in the 30th minute when Diaz Felipe converted a penalty. Sachakipass thought they had levelled late on when B. Arias scored an own goal in the 90th, but Mercedes added another in stoppage time to close the game out. By then the visitors had already switched off at the back, a mistake that cost them dearly.
Statistics told a different story to the scoreline. Sachakipass enjoyed 61 per cent possession and registered 108 attacks compared to Mercedes' 86. Yet the visitors managed only five shots on target while the hosts hit eight. To be fair, efficiency matters more than volume when you're defending a lead.
Mercedes had lost their previous two outings against Kleypool and Argentino de Rosario before drawing with Estrella-del-Sur. Sachakipass had been unbeaten in five going into this fixture, winning three and drawing two. This result effectively halts that run and reshuffles the table considerably.
The visitors remain top with 45 points from 26 games, but the gap to second place has narrowed. Mercedes sit on 36 points, nine behind, and have now turned their recent form around with a genuine statement victory.