Metropolitanos saw off Caracas 3-0 in the Clausura stage of the First Division on September 16th. The home side took all three points at their ground, extending their unbeaten run while leaving the visitors further adrift in the table. We had backed the hosts for victory with 59 per cent confidence, and the result confirmed that reading of the contest.
Richard Figueroa opened the scoring in the nineteenth minute, giving Metropolitanos an early advantage. Caracas pushed for an equaliser but it was Figueroa again who doubled the lead in the fifty-ninth minute, Kavier Ortiz taking the offside flag when he tried to extend the margin further. Jailerth Navarro then wrapped things up with two goals in quick succession, the first in the eighty-eighth minute and the second immediately after.
Christian Adan Larotonda was booked for Caracas in the thirty-seventh minute before being substituted on the hour mark. Isaac Alexander Ramírez Mendoza joined him in the referee's notebook for the hosts in the forty-fifth minute. Jailerth Navarro collected his second yellow card in the eighty-seventh minute, though he managed to score both of his goals before seeing red.
Metropolitanos dominated possession with 43 per cent of the ball, despite Caracas having 57 per cent. The visitors registered more attacks, 86 to 71, but Metropolitanos were sharper in the final third. They created three big chances compared to one for Caracas, and their shot accuracy of 29 per cent was notably better than the visitors' 24 per cent.
The result keeps Metropolitanos top of the table with 50 points from 23 games, 15 victories, five draws and three defeats. Caracas remain ninth with 25 points, five wins, ten draws and eight losses. The hosts have now won their last three matches, while the visitors lost their opening game of the week against Monagas.
