The match served to consolidate the dominance of the Córdoba-based team, which knew how to manage the lead and control the game's development until the final whistle. The starting lineup for Belgrano was Thiago Cardozo; Leonardo Morales, Lisandro López, Alexis Maldonado, and Álvaro Ocampo; Alcides Benítez, Santiago Longo, Adrián Sánchez, and Juan Velázquez; Lucas Zelarayán and Nicolás Fernández. Buenos Aires, January 15 (NA) -- Belgrano won 2-0 against Defensa y Justicia in a preseason friendly. The 'Pirate's' victory had as its great figure Nicolás 'Uvita' Fernández, author of the two goals of the match. The striker opened the scoring at 30 minutes into the first half and scored again at 15 minutes into the second half, sealing a solid victory for the team led by the celestial technical staff, which showed good feelings in its first presentation of the year against a rival of hierarchy like the Falcon of Varela. In the first half, Belgrano showed an orderly and effective stance. The opening of the scoreboard came at 30 minutes, when Nicolás Fernández took advantage of a well-elaborated offensive play to define with precision and put the 1-0 partial. Throughout the match, the technical staff made some variations to observe alternatives, with the entries of Francisco González Metilli and Santino Gatti in place of Adrián Sánchez and Santiago Longo. The friendly match left good conclusions for Belgrano, which began the preseason with a victory and with positive signals in collective functioning and offensive effectiveness. Beyond the result, the match served as a first test to adjust details and continue adding pace for the challenges to come. At 15 minutes into the complement, again Nicolás 'Uvita' Fernández appeared in the rival area to mark his second goal of the night and establish the final 2-0. With an active midfield and good ball circulation, the Córdoba team began to impose conditions and generate clear approaches. Defensa y Justicia tried to react, but found itself with a firm and well-placed defense. For the second half, Belgrano maintained the intensity and continued to seek to expand the difference.
