Atletico Barinas secured a 5-2 victory over Atletico El Vigia in the Venezuelan Cup Round 1 Group B match on September 9. The win moves Barinas to second place, level on six points with the visitors who sit third. It was a decisive result for the home side, reversing the trend of losses in their recent meetings with El Vigia.
To be fair, the statistics showed a strange imbalance for the away team. El Vigia held 52 per cent possession while Barinas had 48, yet the visitors struggled to score. By then, the efficiency of Barinas was clear; they took twelve shots on target and scored five goals.
The result leaves El Vigia third in the standings after another drop in points. They had won their previous two matches against Barinas 2-1 and 2-0, making this defeat significant. The visitors will need to address their finishing if they want to catch up. The psychological shift is palpable after such a comprehensive loss.
And here's the thing regarding discipline: the match was played without a single card. Neither team received a yellow or red card, keeping the contest clean. Barinas recorded 97 attacks while El Vigia had 114, but the home side made the most of their moments.
The victory keeps Barinas firmly in the hunt for the group stage. El Vigia must now look at their performance, particularly their 57 per cent shot accuracy. For the hosts, this is a strong start to their campaign.