River Plate hosted Rosario Central in the third round of the Clausura phase of the Professional League of Argentina on Saturday evening, and the visitors emerged with a narrow 0:1 win thanks to a defensive error. The match ended with the home side's captain scoring against himself, a result that leaves River Plate trailing in the table despite their dominance in possession and territory.
The decisive moment arrived in the twenty-seventh minute when Nicolás Otamendi, attempting to clear under pressure, directed the ball into his own net. To be fair, River Plate had already been making life difficult for their opponents with sustained pressure, but one lapse in concentration proved costly. By then, the home side were already showing signs of impatience, pressing forward in search of an equaliser.
The game became increasingly physical as the half progressed, with six yellow cards shown before the interval. Rosario Central's Enzo Coronel was sent off in the eighty-third minute after receiving his second caution, reducing his side to ten men for the final seven minutes. Several substitutions followed, including Ángel Di María coming on for River Plate in the eighty-fifth minute, though it was too late to salvage a point.
The statistics tell a familiar story of dominance without reward. River Plate held 65 percent possession, registered 114 attacks compared to 73, and created four big chances against the visitors' two. Their expected goals total of 2.08 stood in stark contrast to the single goal scored, while Rosario Central managed just 0.59 expected goals from their three shots on target. The home side's 17 shots off target alone suggest they were shooting at shadows.
The result moves Rosario Central to within two points of second-placed River Plate, who remain on 29 points after 16 matches. The visitors sit fourth with 28 points and now hold a crucial advantage in the race for position. For River Plate, it marks a third consecutive defeat in all competitions, a run that will leave their supporters questioning whether the pressure is finally catching up with them.