O'Higgins beat Deportes Santa Cruz 2:1 in the Round of 16 of the Copa Chile on Wednesday evening. The hosts took an early lead through A. Castillo, who struck in the fourth minute, but Santa Cruz held firm until the middle of the first half. A. Castillo, B. Yanez and P. Brito scored for O'Higgins, while Morales' dismissal in the 36th minute shifted the balance. The result keeps O'Higgins in the competition, though the tie remains open.
Castillo opened the scoring inside the first quarter-hour, a moment that settled the nerves early. By then the game was already getting physical. Robledo picked up a yellow card at the 20-minute mark, and Romero followed at 25. Garrido added another booking for O'Higgins at 27, and here's the thing — you could feel the tension building before Morales stepped into the referee's office.
Morales went off at 36, leaving O'Higgins with ten men for the remainder of the half. Toloza came on at 40 for the hosts, and Romero was replaced at the break. Santa Cruz had more possession in the opening exchanges, but O'Higgins held their shape. The visitors created nothing of note in that spell, and the red card changed the complexion entirely.
Yanez equalled the visitors' advantage at 65, giving O'Higgins a lifeline. Both sides made changes around the hour mark — Islame and Quiroz came on for O'Higgins, while Alucema arrived at 72. Santa Cruz were second to everything in the middle third, but O'Higgins sensed blood. The hosts pushed forward, and Brito found the net at 79 to take the lead.
O'Higgins managed the game after that moment. Castillo and Yanez were both substituted at 76, and Leiva came on at 80 to shore things up. Zeineddin and Diaz picked up late yellows, but no further goals came. Tati arrived at 90+2, and the whistle blew after a tense finish. O'Higgins held on for a 2:1 win.
O'Higgins had 51 per cent possession and created two big chances, while Santa Cruz managed none. Both sides registered three shots on target, but the visitors wasted more — nine shots off target compared to O'Higgins' six. O'Higgins made 471 passes with 375 successful, while Santa Cruz completed 339 of 433. The hosts won 14 of 24 aerial duels, the visitors 11.
The win moves O'Higgins one step closer to the quarter-finals. They had lost 0:1 to A. Italiano in their previous meeting, but this time they held firm. Santa Cruz enter the return leg needing something from their opponents, though the visitors have kept clean sheets on the spin in their last few outings. The tie remains balanced, but O'Higgins will fancy their chances at home.
