León beat Sarmiento, Domínguez ends golden spell with a win | OneFootball

La Plata experienced a day filled with nostalgia and gratitude. Estudiantes defeated Sarmiento 1-0 at the UNO Stadium, marking Eduardo Domínguez’s last match as head coach. The “Barba” closed a golden era of five titles in three years with a victory that reaffirms the competitive DNA of his tenure and keeps “Pincha” at the top of the Torneo Apertura standings.

From the opening whistle, the home team’s dominance was clear. Although Sarmiento tried to threaten with an isolated play by Diego Churín, Estudiantes quickly took control of the match. In the 30th minute, Alexis Castro fired the first warning shot with a long-range effort, and shortly after, Javier Burrai became the standout player by denying Fabricio Pérez and, twice, Guido Carrillo. The visiting goalkeeper was solely responsible for keeping the score level at halftime.

Justice arrived five minutes into the second half. After a sharp run down the right wing by Pérez, Alexis Castro connected with a precise volley to seal the definitive 1-0. From then on, the team from La Plata managed their lead with composure, neutralizing a Sarmiento side whose only clear chance was a shot from Santiago Salle that hit the post. El León could have extended their advantage through Carrillo and a header from González Pirez, but the score remained unchanged, sealing a perfect farewell for the club’s most successful coach in recent times.

Match Summary

Torneo Apertura 2026 – Matchday 6 Stadium: UNO (La Plata). Referee: Andrés Merlos | VAR: Nahuel Viñas.

Estudiantes: Fernando Muslera; Eric Meza, Leandro González Pirez, Tomás Palacios, Gastón Benedetti; Ezequiel Piovi, Alexis Castro; Fabricio Pérez, José Sosa, Joaquín Tobio Burgos; Guido Carrillo. Coach: Eduardo Domínguez.

Sarmiento: Javier Burrai; Juan Manuel Cabrera, Renzo Orihuela, Juan Manuel Insaurralde, Lucas Suárez; Julián Contrera, Cristian Zabala, Carlos Villalba, Santiago Salle; Junior Marabel and Diego Churín. Coach: Facundo Sava.

Goals in the second half: 5′ Alexis Castro (E).

Substitutions in the first half: In the 32nd minute, Thiago Palacios replaced Sosa (E) and in the 37th minute, Yair Arismendi replaced Suárez (S).

Substitutions in the second half: In the 68th minute, Mikel Amondarain came on for Tobio Burgos (E) along with Eros Mancuso for Meza (E); in the 69th minute, Mauricio Martínez replaced Villalba (S) and Jhon Rentería replaced Churín (S); in the 75th minute, Brian Aguirre came on for Castro (E); in the 76th minute, Edwuin Cetré replaced Pérez (E); in the 82nd minute, Jonatan Gómez replaced Zabala (S) and in the 83rd minute, Brandon Márquez replaced Salle (S).

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