Santo Domingo secured a narrow 1-0 victory over El Nacional in the Relegation Group stage of Serie B on Thursday. The result keeps the hosts in eighth place while the visitors remain rooted to the bottom of the table with twelve points from twenty-two games. It was not a particularly pretty afternoon, but results in this part of the competition rarely are.
And here's the thing about this match — El Nacional were reduced to ten men after receiving two red cards, yet they still managed more shots on target than their opponents. Three to five, according to the figures. It is always interesting when a side plays with a numerical disadvantage and still creates opportunities, even if they cannot convert them.
We had given Santo Domingo a 45 per cent chance of victory before kick-off, and that prediction came through. Not that anyone expected a blowout — the visitors had been competitive in their recent draw against Cotopeaqui, and they showed enough spirit to keep the game respectable despite being down to ten men. To be fair, they weathered the storm better than most would have at this stage of the season.
The statistics tell a story of wasted chances on both sides. Santo Domingo registered three shots on target alongside seven off target, while El Nacional hit the target five times but also sent four attempts wide. Possession sat at fifty-four per cent for the hosts, which meant little when the opposition had the higher quality of chances. By then, the game had settled into something neither side could control.
The disciplinary record tells its own tale, with two dismissals for the visitors and only one booking between them. Three yellows for El Nacional compared to a single card for the hosts suggests a match that grew increasingly tense as the visitors tried to find an equaliser with ten men. The red cards came at different stages, which disrupted any rhythm either side might have built.
Santo Domingo move closer to safety with this result, while El Nacional's situation grows more desperate. They sit fourteenth with twelve points, sixteen behind the hosts, and fourteen defeats already on their tally. One mistake ends it at this level, and they have made plenty of them this season.
