Deportivo Maldonado saw off Wanderers 2-0 at the Estadio Domingo Burgueño Miguel in the fifth round of the Clausura stage. S. Ramirez opened the scoring in the twentieth minute before C. Tabo doubled the lead after the break. The hosts kept their unbeaten run intact and moved further clear of the visitors in the table.
The first goal came from a sharp finish. Ramirez took advantage of a momentary lapse in the Wanderers defence to slot home. By then the home side had already established a rhythm that the away players struggled to match.
Wanderers tried to respond but lacked penetration. Their shots on target were limited to one, while Maldonado registered five. To be fair, the visitors were reduced to ten men after G. Freitas received his second yellow card in the eighty-fourth minute.
The red card changed the character of the game. Wanderers had created chances but failed to convert them. Maldonado controlled the tempo and saw out the remainder without further incident.
Statistics told the story of a comfortable evening for the hosts. Maldonado completed 148 attacks compared to 117 for Wanderers. Possession sat at 54 per cent in favour of the home side. They also won the aerial battles with eight throw-ins to three.
The result extends Maldonado's unbeaten run to five matches. They sit second on 49 points, five ahead of Wanderers in sixth place. The away side's struggles continue with nine defeats from twenty-seven games.
We had backed Maldonado to win with 43 per cent confidence. The outcome proved that assessment correct. Their defensive solidity and clinical edge in front of goal made the difference.