Chaos in La Paternal: Argentinos Juniors beat Platense in 104th | OneFootball

On a night that will be etched in the memory of “Bicho” fans, Argentinos Juniors defeated Platense 1-0 at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium. The match, corresponding to the 12th round of the 2026 Torneo Apertura, seemed destined to end in a goalless draw, but an unheard-of stoppage-time finish gave the home side all three points.

A first half of home dominance and “Calamar” resistance

From the opening whistle, the team managed by Pablo Guede (in his second spell) looked to impose itself. Just six minutes in, Nicolás Oroz gave the first warning with a low free kick that forced a solid save from visiting goalkeeper Matías Borgogno, who managed to stop the ball at his near post.

Platense tried to respond on the counterattack and had its chance in the 19th minute, when a collective passing move allowed Gonzalo Lencina to drive from the center toward the right; however, after beating his marker, his shot went well wide.

The “Bicho” had its best spell midway through the first half. In the 21st minute, Oroz was again at the center of things with a run down the left wing and a fierce shot that left Borgogno rooted to the spot, but the right post saved Calamar. Barely sixty seconds later, Iván Morales broke through on the opposite side, although his angled effort was well dealt with by the visiting keeper. Before halftime, Alan Lescano also tried his luck from distance with a left-footed strike that skimmed just over the crossbar.

The second half and the dramatic finish

The second half lacked the tempo of the first. The game became bogged down in midfield, and both teams struggled to get near the penalty areas. It was not until the 32nd minute that Oroz threatened again with an angled shot that drifted just wide of the far post. When the referee signaled the end of the regulation 90 minutes, the 0-0 seemed certain.

However, fate had an unexpected twist in store. In the 14th minute of stoppage time (the 104th minute of play), after a review for a slight contact inside Platense’s box, the referee awarded a penalty to the home side. Alan Lescano, showing complete composure, converted the spot kick with a gentle touch inside Borgogno’s right post, unleashing euphoria in La Paternal.

Impact on Zone B and what comes next

With this dramatic win, Argentinos Juniors climbs to eighth place in Zone B, reaching 14 points and moving firmly into the qualification spots. Platense, meanwhile, suffers a heavy emotional blow, dropping to ninth place with the same number of points but an inferior goal difference.

In the next round, with kickoff times still awaiting confirmation from the AFA, “Calamar” will look to bounce back away to Lanús, while “Bicho” will try to build on this victory when it hosts Banfield at its La Paternal stronghold.

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