San Martín San Juan and Atlético Rafaela shared the points in a 1:1 draw during the 23rd round of the Primera Nacional Regular Season on Friday evening. The match, played on 1 August 2026, ended with both sides still searching for momentum in their respective campaigns. San Martín sit seventh with 41 points from 27 games, while Atlético Rafaela are ninth on 39 from 28.
Nothing changed in the scoreline until the second half when both teams made fresh legs. L. Monje came on for the hosts at 46 minutes, and J. Cavallaro followed for Atlético at 53. The game settled into a rhythm both sides seemed comfortable with, though discipline became a concern for the home side. F. Murillo picked up a yellow card at 57, and D. A. Mercado Carrizo joined him at 65.
And here's the thing — the match stayed quiet for most of its duration before two goals in five minutes decided everything. L. Ferreyra opened the scoring for San Martín in the 83rd minute, only for F. Jourdan to respond for Atlético Rafaela four minutes later. By then, both managers had already brought on fresh attackers. S. Jaurena and M. Moreno came on for the hosts, while E. Wuattier and F. Coronel replaced players for the visitors.
Shots tell part of the story. San Martín registered six on target from 13 attempts, while Atlético Rafaela found the mark four times from seven. Both teams controlled possession at exactly 50 percent, though the away side showed slightly better accuracy at 57 percent compared to 46. The hosts created more attacks overall with 105, but Atlético Rafaela pushed 110. No shots were blocked by either side, which suggests both defences stayed compact until the final exchanges.
The result leaves San Martín one point clear of Atlético Rafaela in the standings, though the gap feels smaller than the numbers suggest. Both teams have picked up mixed results recently — San Martín lost their last outing 2:1 away to Agropecuario, while Atlético Rafaela suffered a 2:0 defeat at Temperli. A point away from home keeps the home side's home record steady, but neither side can claim they dominated this encounter.