Buenos Aires, February 25 (NA) – Estudiantes defeated Newell’s 2-0 in a match where a strong second half was enough to make a significant difference and secure all three points. The game was played this evening at the Marcelo Bielsa stadium for the seventh round of the 2026 Apertura Tournament. According to sources at the Argentine News Agency, forwards Tiago Palacios and Fabricio Pérez scored the goals of the night at the 6th and 36th minutes of the second half. With the victory, "Pincha" climbed to the top of Zone A, sharing the lead with Vélez with 15 points, while the team temporarily coached by Lucas Bernardi occupies the last place in the group and continues to deepen its crisis with only two points in seven matches. In the next round, the team coached by the new coach Alexander Medina will face the aforementioned "Fortín" in a clash of leaders, which will take place on Monday, March 2, at 7:15 PM, while "Lepra" will face the tough task of a "Rosarino Classic" against Rosario Central on Sunday, March 1, starting at 5:00 PM. The first dangerous chance came from the visitors in the 21st minute, with a cross to the far post that forward Adolfo Gaich controlled to then shoot low, although his shot was saved by goalkeeper Gabriel Arias. In the 32nd minute, a free-kick to the near post was flicked on for Gaich, whose powerful header to Arias's left post went just over the bar. The home team had no dangerous attacks until the 41st minute, when midfielder Jerónimo Gómez Mattar switched play to the left for winger Walter Núñez, who cut inside, opened up his right foot, and saw his shot go just wide of the far post of goalkeeper Fernando Muslera. Two minutes later, Núñez threaded a through ball to leave Luciano Herrera one-on-one, who awkwardly shot from the right side of the area and missed the near post. Estudiantes could have opened the scoring at the six-minute mark of the second half when forward Tiago Palacios capitalized on the opposing center-backs' inability to clear a ball, won it on the edge of the area, and slotted a low, cross-shot that Arias couldn't reach. In the 12th minute, a cross to the far post by Tiago Palacios allowed defender Tobías Palacios to head the ball from close range, but his header struck the crossbar. Nine minutes later, a back-heel from forward Edwin Cetré set up Fabricio Pérez, whose first shot was low and saved by Arias, while his second, after the rebound, hit the bar. The second goal of the night came in the 35th minute, from a brilliant individual play finished by forward Fabricio Pérez, who controlled the ball in the area's half-moon, cut to the right, and fired a great cross-shot that went in off the post. In the third minute of stoppage time, a fine individual run down the left by midfielder Mikel Amondarain ended with a shot aimed at the far post, but it hit the crossbar.
Match Summary: Tournament: 2026 Apertura Tournament. Zone: A. Round: 7. Newell’s 0 - 2 Estudiantes. Stadium: Marcelo Bielsa. Referee: Nicolás Lamolina. VAR: Adrián Franklin. Newell’s: Gabriel Arias; Armando Méndez, Bruno Cabrera, Nicolás Goitia, Jerónimo Russo; Luca Regiardo, David Sotelo; Facundo Guch, Valentino Acuña, Walter Núñez; Luciano Herrera. Coach: Lucas Bernardi. Estudiantes: Fernando Muslera; Eric Meza, Leandro Gonzales Pirez, Tomás Palacios, Gastón Benedetti; Ezequiel Piovi, Mikel Amondarain; Tiago Palacios, Fabricio Pérez, Brian Aguirre; Adolfo Gaich.
