Newell's Old Boys saw off Restra 2-0 in the fifth round of the Clausura phase at Estadio Marcelo Bielza on Friday evening. The hosts took all three points from a match where chances were at a premium, with two goals separating two sides sitting in the bottom half of the table. By then it was clear enough that this would not be an open contest, and the home side's efficiency proved decisive.
Facundo Miño saw yellow before the hour mark, followed by second-half bookings for Carlos Quintana and Luca Regiardo. Newell's moved first through F. Guch in the 67th minute, a goal that came after a period of sustained pressure. The hosts doubled their lead through W. Mazzantti in the 85th minute, and that was the final word on the scoreboard.
Restra made their first change at the interval when M. Luciano came off. Thereafter substitutions proliferated on both sides: T. Rios, I. Ramirez, B. Sanchez, J. Gomez, A. Diaz, P. Monje, N. Sansotre, W. Mazzantti himself, and A. Alonso all made appearances. The manager sat deep and soaked it up for much of the second half, but the visitors could not find the breakthrough they needed.
Statistics tell a mixed story. Newell's held 64 per cent possession and created slightly more attacks, yet Restra registered 113 against 103. Both sides landed three shots on target, but the visitors' expected goals of 0.60 to 0.37 suggested they should have been more dangerous. There is unrest in the dressing room when you camp in the final third without converting.
The result leaves Newell's Old Boys on 15 points in 14th place after 16 games, while Restra remain in 15th with 11 points. Neither side has much room for error as the Clausura phase progresses. The home side extended their unbeaten run to five with this victory, though it was hardly a dominant display. The support of the fans could be called devoted, but that is an assessment, not a fact. The fact is that the club sits top of the table — wait, no, 14th is hardly top of anything.
