Relief for Costas: Racing claim first win of the year at El Cilindro | OneFootball

With goals from Conechny and Solari, the Academy won 2-1 and ended their streak of three consecutive defeats. Racing defeated Argentinos Jrs. 2-1 in the 4th round of the Apertura Tournament. After a forgettable start to the championship with three straight losses, Gustavo Costas' team showed decisiveness and knew how to endure in the second half to defend a vital victory.

The match started with little rhythm and many interruptions, but Racing managed to unlock it at 19 minutes. After a precise cross from Gabriel Rojas, Tomás Conechny connected with a header to score the 1-0. Argentinos equalized through Enzo Pérez, but referee Hernán Mastrángelo annulled the goal due to a previous offside by Erik Godoy. Near the end of the first half, at 44', Santiago Solari extended the lead with a brilliant individual play: he received from Baltasar Rodríguez at the edge of the area and unleashed a powerful right-footed shot that hit the crossbar before going in.

At the start of the second half, the Bicho struck early. Just a minute into play, a header from Molina hit the post, and Erik Godoy captured the rebound to make it 2-1. The goal emboldened the team from La Paternal, who dominated possession against a Racing that retreated and relied on counterattacks.

At 15 minutes into the second half, the afternoon's controversy occurred. The VAR called Mastrángelo to review a possible handball by Prieto inside the area. However, after analyzing the footage, the referee deemed that there was a prior foul by Maravilla Martínez on the defender.

In the final minutes, Argentinos Juniors made substitutions but never troubled Facundo Cambeses, and the Academy maintained defensive solidity to secure a win that allows them to leave the last place in Zone B. With this result, Racing earns their first 3 points in the tournament, while Argentinos Juniors remains with 5.

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