Racing Club edged past Belgrano de Córdoba 1-0 in the Round of 16 of the Copa Argentina on Tuesday evening. T. Conechny's fourth-minute opener proved decisive in a match where the hosts saw out the remainder after their visitors lost a man. The result ends Belgrano's recent good run and leaves Racing to face an unknown opponent in the quarter-finals.
The opening incident came almost immediately. Conechny found space and finished clinically, and here's the thing — that single moment dictated everything that followed. Racing pressed forward with purpose, while Belgrano began to work around the disruption. By then the visitors had already made two changes, bringing on A. Maldonado and F. Gonzalez, perhaps sensing the shift in tempo.
What happened next told the story of the second half. Racing introduced T. Conechny himself for M. Miljevic in the 66th minute, a surprising move when you consider he'd scored. Belgrano responded with L. Passerini for J. Velazquez, then brought on G. A. Lodico and A. Sanchez together. Adrian Martinez made a late appearance for the hosts in stoppage time. Three yellow cards arrived for Belgrano — Benitez Cabrera, Solari, and Fernandez — alongside a red card that changed the geometry of the game.
The statistics reveal a curious picture. Belgrano held 51 per cent possession and created more key passes, 13 to Racing's 11, yet their shooting accuracy sat at just 20 per cent. Racing, meanwhile, had 43 per cent accuracy with six shots on target compared to the visitors' three. The hosts created two big chances; Belgrano created none. Possession meant little when you couldn't find the net.
That red card, when it came, pulled the thread. Belgrano had already been the more dangerous side in build-up — 92 passes into the final third against Racing's 66 — but one mistake ended their evening. Racing defended their lead with the kind of organisation that comes from knowing you have to. Three clearances, six interceptions, ten successful tackles. They saw it out.