Banfield defeated Lanús 2-1 in the match they played tonight at the Florencio Sola stadium, for the fourteenth date of the 2025 Clausura Tournament.
In an unforgettable night of a clásico, for the "Taladro", forwards Bruno Sepúlveda and Rodrigo Auzmendi scored, while the visitors' consolation goal was scored by winger Eduardo Salvio.
The victory gave Banfield the highlight of its year: not only did they win another clásico, but Pedro Troglio's team secured promotion from relegation with two dates to spare and keeps its chances alive for a playoff spot.
As has happened more than once since Troglio's arrival, in this match Banfield played for the fans, and won the clásico by playing it, as they say, "as it should be played": fighting, giving their all for the team, and taking advantage of opportunities.
Banfield's victory was so clear that it had few low points. The five-man defensive line that the manager had debuted in the last round, where they beat Independiente Rivadavia 2-0, was solid again, providing a lot of solidity, winning aerial duels, and being very present when they needed to pressure the forwards. The midfield was very firm, as was goalkeeper Facundo Sanguinetti, and the attackers had a great game.
In attack, the standout was Uruguayan Mauro Méndez, who showed great sacrifice and assisted on both goals, while Bruno Sepúlveda scored the first goal of the night and was very precise in the air, and Rodrigo Auzmendi came off the bench with great effectiveness, scoring on his first attack on the opposing goal.
Thus, Pedro Troglio's team could shake off the burden of fighting for permanence, a fate they had been dragging due to the poor Apertura Tournament they had played, and entered the qualifying zone in sixth place, which they will have to ratify in the next two dates to access the round of 16.
On the other side, Lanús was unrecognizable. With an alternate team, in which coach Mauricio Pellegrino only repeated five starters from the recent Copa Sudamericana semi-final, the "Granate" lacked attitude and intensity in the first half and only got close to goal in the second half, with the entry of the usual starters, who, nevertheless, came in cold to the game.
The visitors' only goal came at 48 minutes of the second half, when winger Eduardo Salvio took advantage of a counterattack and hit a great first-time shot that hit the crossbar of Sanguinetti and went into the net.
In any case, although the poor performance tonight will have been a setback for Pellegrino's confidence in his substitute players, the "Granate" must face a series of matches that could be a showcase for them. Lanús will have to play the final of the 2025 Copa Sudamericana on November 22 against Atlético Mineiro of Brazil, and they still have the Clausura playoffs ahead.
However, the one who keeps the biggest hopes and continues smiling is Banfield, who celebrated tonight, with deafening support.
