Universidad Católica claimed a hard-fought 3-2 victory over O'Higgins in the Chilean Primera División on Tuesday night at Claro Arena. The result keeps the home side in third place while O'Higgins remain tenth in the table after twenty-one rounds. Both teams have now played twenty-one matches this season, with the visitors trailing by six points.
O'Higgins struck first through Cristiano Morales in the thirteenth minute, but Universidad Católica responded swiftly. Fernando Zampedri equalised in the twenty-sixth minute before adding a penalty in the fortieth. The visitors thought they had taken the lead when Agustín Castillo's goal was cancelled by VAR in the thirty-fifth minute, and here's the thing — that decision shifted the momentum before the break.
The second half brought another twist. Castillo finally found the net in the seventieth minute to level the score at 2-2. Universidad Católica held firm through a tense period, with both sides showing their defensive resolve. By then, O'Higgins had enjoyed more possession but struggled to convert their chances into clear opportunities.
The decisive moment came in the eighty-seventh minute when M. Gomez scored what would prove to be the winner. Universidad Católica closed the game out despite O'Higgins creating more attacking pressure throughout. The visitors had nine shots on target compared to five for the hosts, yet their accuracy of fifty-six percent could not find the back of the net when it mattered.
The statistics tell an uneven story. O'Higgins dominated possession at fifty-seven percent and completed 460 passes against Universidad Católica's 353. However, the home side created three big chances while their opponents managed only one. The visitors' nine shots on target yielded just two goals, while Universidad Católica's five attempts produced three.
The victory moves Universidad Católica further clear in the upper half of the table. They now sit on thirty-three points, six ahead of O'Higgins who remain on twenty-seven. The result also extends the hosts' recent improvement, following their win against Coquimbo Unido on the previous weekend.
