Madness in La Paternal: Argentinos win in the 104th minute | OneFootball

On a night that will remain etched in the memory of “Bicho” fans, Argentinos Juniors defeated Platense 1-0 at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium. The match, corresponding to the twelfth round of the 2026 Torneo Apertura, seemed destined for a goalless draw, but an unprecedented ending in stoppage time gave the home team all three points.

A first half of local dominance and “Calamar” resistance

From the opening whistle, the team led by Pablo Guede (in his second stint) sought to impose their style. Just six minutes in, Nicolás Oroz threatened with a low free kick that demanded a solid response from Matías Borgogno, the visiting goalkeeper, who managed to stop the ball at his near post.

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

The best moment for the “Bicho” came midway through the first half. In the 21st minute, Oroz was once again the protagonist with a run down the left wing and a thunderous shot that left Borgogno rooted to the spot, but the right post saved the Calamar. Just sixty seconds later, Iván Morales slipped through on the opposite side, though his angled shot was well controlled by the visiting keeper. Before halftime, Alan Lescano also tried his luck from distance with a left-footed shot that just grazed the crossbar.

The second half and the dramatic finish

The second half lacked the pace of the first. The game became bogged down in midfield and both teams found the penalty areas out of reach. Not until the 32nd minute did Oroz threaten again with a cross shot that went just wide of the far post. When the referee signaled the end of regulation, the 0-0 seemed sealed.

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

Impact on Zone B and what’s next

With this dramatic win, Argentinos Juniors climb to eighth place in Zone B, reaching 14 points and moving into the qualification spots. Meanwhile, Platense suffers a tough blow to morale, dropping to ninth with the same number of points but a worse goal difference.

In the next round, with kickoff times still to be confirmed by the AFA, the “Calamar” will look to bounce back on their visit to Lanús, while the “Bicho” will try to build on this victory when they host Banfield at their La Paternal stronghold.

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