Buenos Aires, April 5 (NA) – Newell's defeated Central Córdoba 3-1 in a crucial match for survival played tonight at the Madre de Ciudades stadium, for the thirteenth date of the 2026 Apertura Tournament. According to the Argentine News Agency, the visiting team won with goals from forward Franco García in the 10th minute, defender Oscar Salomón when the score was 0-1, and forward Francisco Scarpeccio in the fifth minute of added time in the second half. The home team managed to pull one back with a goal from winger Diego Barrera. Additionally, the home team played with a man less for the entire second half due to the expulsion of defender Juan Pignani in the 43rd minute of the first half. With the victory, 'La Lepra' moved up to the second-to-last place in Zone A with nine points and will host San Lorenzo on Sunday, April 12th at 3:00 PM. Meanwhile, the team coached by Lucas Pusineri is twelfth in Group A with 12 points and will visit Vélez in the next match on Monday, April 13th. The visitors opened the scoring in the ninth minute of the first half with a run down the right wing by forward Matías Coccaro, which ended in a low cross to the far post for Franco García to push the ball into the net. In the 39th minute, a cross from the left by Jerónimo Russo allowed Oscar Salomón to head the ball well at the far post, striking it down on the bounce and scoring past the left post of goalkeeper Javier Vallejos, who had to come in due to an injury to goalkeeper Alan Aguerre. The home team pulled one back in the 18th minute of the second half with a cross into the area that, after two headers, was volleyed in by Barrera from the small area, surprising goalkeeper Josué Reinatti, who had no time to react. With his first goal in the First Division, in the fourth minute of added time in the second half, Scarpeccio was left one-on-one on the right side of the large area, he faced the opposing goalkeeper and beat him with a shot to the near post, to seal a fundamental victory for 'La Lepra' with a celebration in the style of Mario Alberto Kempes.
