Estudiantes de La Plata beat Barracas Central 3-1 in the Round of 16 of the Argentine Cup on Thursday night. The hosts progressed to the quarter-finals after a match decided by two second-half goals and two unfortunate own goals from the visitors.
Barracas took the lead in the first half through an own goal by K. Jappert in the fortieth minute, but Estudiantes responded before the break. B. Rodriguez thought he had equalised in the twenty-third minute when his shot hit the net, only for the goal to be cancelled by VAR. The visitors were also dealt a blow when L. Gonzalez Pirez headed into his own net in the eighty-fourth minute.
And here's the thing about the fifty-first minute: Rodriguez finally got his reward. The striker's finish gave Estudiantes the lead, and by then the momentum had shifted. The home side kept their composure despite a frantic second half where Barracas threw bodies forward.
G. Carrillo sealed the victory in the eighty-eighth minute with a composed finish. There were plenty of substitutions across both sides — six in total — as managers searched for answers in the closing stages. Yellow cards were handed out freely, with nine shown between the two teams.
By then the statistics told a story of wasted opportunity for Barracas. They enjoyed 51 per cent possession and created three big chances to Estudiantes' two, but their shot accuracy sat at just 22 per cent compared to 50 per cent for the hosts. Barracas registered 119 attacks and 400 passes, yet failed to convert.
Estudiantes had looked fragile in recent matches, losing two of their last five games including defeats to Sarmiiento and Deportivo Riestra. A win against Universidad Catolica and a draw with the same side had kept them in contention, but this performance suggested a side finding its footing again.
