Atlético drew level in the promotion race with a composed 3-0 victory over San Antonio in the third round of the Liga Pro Serie B Promotion Group on Thursday evening. The visitors took control of the encounter at the Estadio Municipal before closing out the points with a goal in stoppage time. The result moves them closer to the summit of their section.
The opening moment came in the forty-fourth minute when Atlético broke through the visitors' defensive line. San Antonio had the ball for the majority of the first half but struggled to create clear chances. By then the home side should have had something to show for their territory.
The second goal arrived in the eighty-third minute, a moment that shifted the weight of the match entirely. San Antonio's defence had been organised but lacked a decisive intervention when it mattered. The visitors took their chance and extended their advantage with a well-taken finish.
The third goal arrived in the ninety-third minute, the final punctuation mark on a match Atlético deserved to win. San Antonio pushed forward in search of an honour goal but found no space. The visitors held their shape and saw out the game without further incident.
San Antonio dominated possession at sixty-two per cent and registered seventy-six attacks compared to Atlético's seventy. They won four corners to four and committed one offside against four for the visitors. And here's the thing — the numbers do not tell the full story of a match decided by moments.
Atlético sit second in the table with thirty-eight points from twenty-two games, while San Antonio remain sixth on thirty-one points. The gap between them narrows with each result that goes the visitors' way. San Antonio have not won since their last outing and now face a difficult run of fixtures.
The result leaves Atlético in contention for automatic promotion while San Antonio must find a way to break their winless streak. To be fair, the visitors showed resilience in the second half but lacked the cutting edge when it counted. Three goals from three chances will be enough to keep them in the hunt.