Estudiantes de La Plata and Corinthians shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw during the Libertadores quarter-finals at the Estadio Jorge Luis Hirschi on Wednesday evening. The result leaves the Brazilian side top of the group on 12 points, while Estudiantes remain second with 10.
Alexis Castro opened the scoring inside the first quarter of an hour, finding the net in the fourth minute. To be fair, the home side pressed from the outset, and their early pressure told. Kaio César equalised for Corinthians in the 49th minute, ending a barren spell for the visitors.
And here's the thing about minute twenty — you notice what happens when both teams settle into their rhythm. Estudiantes had the ball more, 51 per cent possession, but Corinthians made them work for every inch. The visitors created fewer big chances, one to two, yet held firm against a home side that stretched the back line repeatedly.
Substitutions came thick and fast in the second half. Baltasar Gallego Rodriguez and André Carrillo were among the changes, while Memphis Depay came on for Corinthians in the 90th minute. The referee showed eight yellow cards in total, Eros Nazareno Mancuso among the last to be booked before the final whistle.
The statistics tell a story of control without conversion. Estudiantes registered 11 key passes against five for Corinthians, and their expected goals figure of 0.86 sat above the visitors' 0.69. Shots accuracy matched at 43 per cent for both sides, though Estudiantes found the target six times to three.
By then the standings had barely moved. Estudiantes sit second with nine points from six games, one win behind Corinthians who lead the group. We had given the visitors a 51 per cent chance of victory, but the match went another way — and it was the home side's ability to absorb pressure that broke the forecast.
The result keeps both sides in contention for the next round. Corinthians extend their unbeaten run in the competition, while Estudiantes show they can compete with the best. The line has barely moved in this group, and Wednesday's draw does not change that.
