Atlético Torque claimed a 1-0 victory over Tigre in the Round of 16 of the Sudamericana on Tuesday night. F. Pizzichillo's 53rd-minute goal proved enough to send the visitors through, despite Tigre controlling most of the possession at home.
The hosts came out with intent, and they kept it that way. Tigre dominated territory with 57 per cent possession, but they can spring a surprise when you least expect it — and this was one of those nights. They created one big chance against Torque's three, yet it was the visitors who finished sharper.
Pizzichillo broke the deadlock just after half-time, and by then Tigre had thrown bodies in the way but couldn't find the equaliser. The home side made a triple substitution at 65 minutes — A. Oviedo, T. Serrago and J. Elias all came on — but even that didn't shift the momentum.
The statistics tell a familiar story. Tigre registered 13 shots with an expected goals figure of 1.37, while Torque managed just five attempts at 0.52 expected goals. Three shots on target from Torque compared to Tigre's three as well — but only one found the net. The visitors worked a short corner at the right moment and picked one up last week in terms of efficiency.
Both sides enter this tie well placed in their respective groups. Atlético Torque sit top with 13 points from six games, four wins and a single defeat. Tigre are second with nine points, showing two victories and three draws alongside one loss.
The result means Torque extend their unbeaten run in the competition while Tigre will need to find answers quickly. The second leg remains wide open, but this first encounter belonged to the visitors who ran riot with clinical finishing when it mattered.