Gimnasia Jujuy beat Atlético Rafaela 2:1 on Saturday in the 29th round of Argentina's Primera División. The hosts took all three points at their ground, ending a run where they had only managed one victory in their previous five fixtures. By then the result felt inevitable, though the match itself refused to settle into a comfortable rhythm from the start.
Fernando Camargo gave Gimnasia the lead in the 39th minute, finishing a move that exposed the visitors' high line. Atlético Rafaela responded quickly, with Franco Molina equalising four minutes later. The visitors pressed high up the pitch and won a dangerous free-kick, but the hosts saw it out and took the advantage into the break.
Nicolás Ramos restored Gimnasia's lead in the 56th minute, tapping in from close range after another defensive lapse. Atlético Rafaela pushed for an equaliser but could not find the space they needed. And here's the thing, the visitors had more attacks but fewer corners, which tells you everything about how the game was being played.
Things tightened in the second half. Nicolás Dematei collected two yellow cards before the hour mark and was then sent off in the 76th minute, reducing Atlético Rafaela to ten men. The substitution pattern shifted after that, with both sides bringing on fresh legs. Gimnasia handed a debut to one of their younger players, while Atlético Rafaela brought on Gallardo in search of something to change the game.
The statistics tell a flat story: both sides finished with 0.5 possession, five shots on target each, and four shots off target. Many shots with one goal means chances went begging for both teams. But the red card changed the geometry of the match, and Gimnasia managed the final twenty minutes without looking back.
We had called for a home victory before kick-off, and the result vindicated that assessment. Not because of the numbers, but because the hosts had the sharper edge in the moments that mattered. Atlético Rafaela's away form has been inconsistent, and this defeat leaves them twelve points adrift of the leaders.
Gimnasia Jujuy remain second on 52 points, two behind the top side. The gap between them and Atlético Rafaela in the table has now opened to thirteen points. The hosts fancy their chances of securing a top-four finish, provided they can keep their heads when the pressure comes.