Argentinos Juniors edge Sarmiento 1-0 with last-gasp goal in opener | OneFootball

Argentinos Juniors started the 2026 Torneo Apertura on the right foot by defeating Sarmiento de Junín 1-0 at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium. The only goal of the match, valid for Matchday 1, was scored by Tomás Molina in the 52nd minute of the second half, breaking the deadlock when a goalless draw seemed definitive.

The match, refereed by Andrés Gariano with Fernando Espinoza on VAR, had a balanced and highly contested first half. Argentinos tried to dominate through possession and wing play, while Sarmiento held back with an organized scheme, looking for quick transitions. The intensity was reflected in the four yellow cards shown before the break (Insaurralde, Ramírez, Cabrera, and Álvarez), but neither team could break the deadlock.

In the second half, the game became more intense and tense. Sarmiento made changes from the start but suffered a crucial blow in the 14th minute when Insaurralde received a red card, leaving his team one man down.

With the numerical advantage, the "Bicho" pushed forward and applied constant pressure, although they couldn't find the necessary precision in the final third. Sarmiento, heroic in their resistance, held off the siege as long as they could.

Finally, during injury time, Tomás Molina capitalized on an assist from Lozano and scored with precision to spark celebrations in La Paternal.

With this hard-fought victory, Argentinos secured their first three points, while Sarmiento left empty-handed after a defensive effort that wasn't enough until the final whistle.

Match Summary

Argentinos Juniors (1): Cortes; Lozano, Álvarez, Ramírez, Prieto; Fattori, Oroz; L. Giaccone, A. Lescano, Porcel; Molina. Coach: Nicolás Diez.

Sarmiento (Junín) (0): Burrai; Arismendi, Insaurralde, Orihuela, Cabrera; S. Salle, García, Zabala, Rentería; Marabel, Churín. Coach: Facundo Sava. Goals: 52′ ST Tomás Molina (AJ).

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