Little football in Liniers: Vélez held by Riestra, now share top spot | OneFootball

Vélez Sarsfield and Deportivo Riestra drew 0-0 in a match with few thrills, played at the José Amalfitani Stadium. For the seventh round of the 2026 Apertura Tournament, Guillermo Barros Schelotto’s team was unable to break through the defensive lock of the “Malevo” and, although they remain at the top of the table with 15 points, they now have to share that privileged position with Estudiantes de La Plata.

The match began with the visitors threatening early. Just in the 1st minute, Jonathan Herrera tried a volley that Álvaro Montero saved without any trouble. The clearest chance of the entire afternoon came at the 18th minute of the first half, when Antony Alonso found himself one-on-one after a through ball, but Vélez’s Colombian goalkeeper managed to deflect his angled shot. The “Fortín” only managed to create danger in the 33rd minute through an individual play by Manuel Lanzini, which ended up in the hands of Ignacio Arce.

In the second half, the pace of the game didn’t change much. Vélez tried to show a more aggressive side with runs from Lanzini and Imanol Machuca in the 11th minute, but a lack of precision was a constant in the home team’s attack. Riestra, on the other hand, defended well and relied on an isolated counterattack, such as a shot from Nicolás Sansotre in the 29th minute that went over the crossbar after a series of rebounds in Vélez’s box.

Towards the end, in the 35th minute, fullback Elías Gómez had the chance to give the home side the win after a flicked-on cross at the near post, but his shot went wide. With this draw, Vélez must now focus on the clash of leaders that will take place next Monday, March 2, against the “Pincha.” Meanwhile, Gustavo Benítez’s team earned a valuable point in their fight at the bottom of the table and are already thinking about their next match against Platense.

Match Summary

Vélez: Álvaro Montero; Joaquín García, Emanuel Mammana, Lisandro Magallán, Elías Gómez; Rodrigo Aliendro, Lucas Robertone; Tobías Andrada, Manuel Lanzini, Imanol Machuca; Florián Monzón. Coach: Guillermo Barros Schelotto.

Riestra: Ignacio Arce; Nicolás Sansotre, Juan Randazzo, Cristian Paz, Facundo Miño, Pedro Ramírez; Nicolás Watson, Jonatan Goitia, Antony Alonso; Alexander Díaz, Jonathan Herrera. Coach: Gustavo Benítez.

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