Unión fall short in comeback bid, knocked out of the Torneo Clausura | OneFootball

In a packed April 15 Stadium, Unión was not at its best, losing 2-1 to Gimnasia (LP) on Monday and getting eliminated from the Clausura. El Tate paid dearly for a poor first half, where they went down due to goals from Manuel Panaro and Enzo Martínez. Cristian Tarragona scored at the start of the second half, but it wasn't enough.

The first 15 minutes for Unión were acceptable, to the point that at the start Agustín Colazo, inside the area, shot and the ball deflected off a Gimnasia player, sending it to the corner. From that corner kick, a shot by Mateo Del Blanco went just over the crossbar.

At 9', Lautaro Vargas shot without power or direction from inside the area after a good team play, but Nelson Insfrán had no trouble containing the ball. Unión had possession and looked to the flanks to end in crosses into the area against a rival that retreated and relied on counterattacks.

At 15', Mauricio Martínez tried from mid-distance, but Insfrán, well-positioned, held the shot without a rebound. When Unión was better, the Lobo scored at 18 minutes, when Alejandro Piedrahita reached the end line, sent a cross that Matías Tagliamonte couldn't catch, and Manuel Panaro seized the rebound to push the ball and establish the 1-0.

The goal hit Unión hard, which was no longer the same, and at 24 minutes, the visitor struck again with a corner from the left and a header by Enzo Martínez for the 2-0. Gimnasia, with two chances, was winning 2-0 and surprising Unión, which had a streak of four clean sheets.

El Tate went looking for a goal but lacked ideas, rushed and unclear, missing passes and playing under pressure. In the end, Cristian Tarragona managed to shoot while falling after sprinting into space and beating a defender in speed. There was no time for more; Unión started well but collapsed after Gimnasia's first goal and had no arguments to at least score. An unexpected first half where the Lobo worshiped efficiency and then defended in an orderly manner.

The second half of Unión and Gimnasia

To start the second half, Leonardo Madelón sent Nicolás Palavecino onto the field for the uninspired Franco Fragapane. El Tate quickly scored, with a true stunner from Cristian Tarragona at 8', when inside the area, he executed a superb bicycle kick to make it 2-1. The match was frantic because Unión was attacking and Gimnasia was responding.

At 12', Marcelo Torres cut inside the area and took a shot that beat Tagliamonte, but Maizon Rodríguez cleared the ball off the line, preventing what would have been Gimnasia's third goal. In the next action, Unión had a chance when Colazo shot on the run, and it almost resulted in an own goal, but they cleared it off the line.

At 18', Madelón made three changes: Augusto Solari for Martínez, Emiliano Álvarez for the injured Vargas, and Marcelo Estigarribia for Colazo. After those intense minutes, the game slowed down. Gimnasia began to waste time and disrupt play. The changes in Unión didn't have the desired impact. The game was being played the way the Lobo wanted, and El Tate no longer had the drive it showed after scoring.

Seeking more presence in the area, at 32', Madelón sent Diego Díaz onto the field for Julián Palacios to attack with three forwards. At 34', Unión almost equalized when Estigarribia won in the air and assisted Díaz, who, inside the area, took a right-footed shot that hit the left post. In that action, Unión's hope of equalizing faded. They paid dearly for their lack of efficiency and poor marking, offering many advantages.

A disappointment for El Tate, which reached this stage after a very good campaign, but was eliminated in the first knockout round. Even so, the fans bid farewell with some applause to a team that achieved its primary objective but once again couldn't make the leap and ended up empty-handed.

Lineups of Unión and Gimnasia (LP)

Unión: Matías Tagliamonte; Lautaro Vargas, Maizon Rodríguez, Valentín Fascendini, and Mateo Del Blanco; Julián Palacios, Mauro Pittón, Mauricio Martínez, and Franco Fragapane; Cristian Tarragona and Agustín Colazo. Coach: Leonardo Madelón

Gimnasia (LP): Nelson Insfrán; Juan de Dios Pintado, Renzo Giampaoli, Enzo Martínez, Pedro Silva Torrejón; Augusto Max, Nicolás Barros Schelotto; Manuel Panaro, Bautista Merlini, Alejandro Piedrahita; Marcelo Torres. Coach: Fernando Zaniratto

Stadium: April 15

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.