Newell's Old Boys kept Banfield at bay with a 2-1 win at Estadio Marcelo Bielsa in the Clausura round six of the Argentine Professional League. M. Coccaro struck twice for the hosts, his first effort coming in the 51st minute before he added a second in the 77th. Banfield pulled one back late on when B. Sepulveda converted a penalty after P. Troglio had been sent off in the 90+8th minute.
The game felt controlled for most of its first half, though neither side could quite break the deadlock. Newell's took the lead shortly after the break, Coccaro's goal following a period of sustained pressure. To be fair, Banfield had their moments too — they created more from deep positions, but couldn't find the same rhythm in the final third.
And here's the thing about the end, you could sense the shift. Troglio's red card changed everything, and Sepulveda made no mistake from the spot. But Newell's had already done enough to hold their nerve. By then the match was really decided, even if the scoreboard wouldn't reflect that until the final whistle.
The statistics tell one story, the match another. Newell's held 53 per cent possession and created four big chances from 12 shots, while Banfield managed two big chances from 11 attempts despite a higher expected goals tally of 1.61 to 1.43. Many shots with two goals means chances went begging for the visitors, and the late penalty felt like a consolation rather than a statement.
The result leaves Newell's in 14th place on 15 points from 16 games, while Banfield sit 12th with 18 points. The gap between them remains three points, though this was a match that could have swung either way. What matters is how Newell's responded when the pressure mounted.
