Leonces took on Deportivo in the eighth round of the Clausura phase, and the visitors left with three points and a clean sheet. The final score stood at 0–3, a result that surprised few who watched the second half. By then the game had already been decided, though the scoreboard told only part of the story.
And here's the thing about that first penalty at the third minute. Onate stepped up and sent it past the keeper while Leonces were still finding their feet. It felt like the kind of moment that changes everything, and it did.
Eleven minutes in and Onate struck again, this time from open play. Leonces conceded possession and then conceded a goal, and the pattern continued. Deportivo stayed compact, waiting for the space that would come. To be fair, the away side knew exactly what they were doing. The hosts pressed forward after that, but the visitors had nothing to lose.
I was watching a different angle than the broadcast, and what caught my eye at twenty minutes was the body language. Leonces players were turning to each other, pointing, frustrated.
The red cards came late, at 77 and 78 minutes, and suddenly the match opened up. Meneses was sent off for Leonces, and another player followed minutes later. Deportivo had nothing to do all evening after that, just waiting for the whistle. A penalty miss at 87 minutes from Arboleda showed the visitors could still have added to their tally.
The statistics tell an uneven story. Leonces held 69% of possession and launched 114 attacks, yet managed only eight shots on target. Deportivo had 31% of the ball and five shots on target, three of which found the net. Many shots with one goal means chances went begging, but here it was the hosts who wasted opportunities.
Leonces remain thirteenth with 18 points, a position that reflects their recent form. Deportivo move to sixteenth with 14 points, still searching for consistency. The gap between them is four points, but the quality of performance tells a different story.
