Unión fall short in comeback bid, knocked out of Torneo Clausura | OneFootball

In a packed 15 de Abril, Unión was not at its best, losing 2-1 this Monday to Gimnasia (LP) and being eliminated from the Clausura. El Tate paid dearly for a poor first half, going into the break behind after goals from Manuel Panaro and Enzo Martínez. Cristian Tarragona pulled one back at the start of the second half, but it wasn’t enough.

The first 15 minutes from Unión were acceptable, to the point that early on Agustín Colazo, inside the box, took a shot that deflected off a Gimnasia player and went out for a corner. From that corner, Mateo Del Blanco took a shot that just went over the crossbar.

At the 9th minute, Lautaro Vargas took a shot inside the box, but it lacked power and direction after a good team move, and Nelson Insfrán had no trouble saving the ball. Unión had possession and looked to attack down the flanks, ending with crosses into the area against a rival that sat back and looked to counter.

At the 15th minute, Mauricio Martínez tried from distance, but Insfrán, well positioned, saved the shot without giving up a rebound. When Unión was on top, the goal for El Lobo came at the 18th minute, when Alejandro Piedrahita reached the byline, sent in a cross that Matías Tagliamonte couldn’t catch, and Manuel Panaro pounced on the rebound to push the ball in and make it 1-0.

The goal hit Unión hard, and they were no longer the same. At the 24th minute, the visitors struck again with a corner from the left and a header from Enzo Martínez to make it 2-0. Gimnasia, with just two chances, was up 2-0 and surprising Unión, who had come in with a streak of four clean sheets.

El Tate tried to pull one back but lacked ideas, rushed and unclear, missing passes and playing under pressure. Near the end, Cristian Tarragona managed to shoot while falling after running into space and outpacing a defender. There was no time for more; Unión started well but after Gimnasia’s first goal, they collapsed and no longer had the means to at least pull one back. An unthinkable first half in which El Lobo made a virtue of efficiency and then defended in an organized manner.

The second half: Unión and Gimnasia

To start the second half, Leonardo Madelón sent Nicolás Palavecino onto the field for the ineffective Franco Fragapane. El Tate quickly got a goal back, with a true stunner from Cristian Tarragona at the 8th minute, who executed a superb bicycle kick inside the box to make it 2-1. The game became frantic, with Unión attacking and Gimnasia responding.

At the 12th minute, Marcelo Torres cut inside the box and fired a shot that beat Tagliamonte, but Maizon Rodríguez cleared the ball off the line, preventing what would have been Gimnasia’s third. In the next play, Unión had their chance when Colazo shot on the run and almost scored an own goal, but they managed to clear off the line.

At the 18th minute, Madelón made three changes: Augusto Solari came on for Martínez, Emiliano Álvarez for the injured Vargas, and Marcelo Estigarribia for Colazo. After those intense minutes, the game slowed down. Gimnasia started wasting time and breaking up play. The changes for Unión didn’t have the desired effect. The match was being played the way El Lobo wanted, and El Tate no longer had the drive they’d shown after their goal.

Seeking more presence in the box, at the 32nd minute, Madelón brought on Diego Díaz for Julián Palacios to attack with three forwards. At the 34th minute, Unión almost equalized when Estigarribia won a header and set up Díaz, who, inside the box, shot with his right but hit the left post. In that moment, Unión’s hopes of equalizing faded. They paid dearly for their lack of efficiency and poor defending, giving up too many chances.

A disappointment for El Tate, who reached this stage after a very good campaign, but was eliminated at the first knockout round. Even so, the fans saw them off with some applause for a team that met its primary objective, but once again couldn’t make the leap and was left empty-handed.

Lineups for Unión and Gimnasia (LP)

Unión: Matías Tagliamonte; Lautaro Vargas, Maizon Rodríguez, Valentín Fascendini, and Mateo Del Blanco; Julián Palacios, Mauro Pittón, Mauricio Martínez, and Franco Fragapane; Cristian Tarragona and Agustín Colazo. Coach: Leonardo Madelón

Gimnasia (LP): Nelson Insfrán; Juan de Dios Pintado, Renzo Giampaoli, Enzo Martínez, Pedro Silva Torrejón; Augusto Max, Nicolás Barros Schelotto; Manuel Panaro, Bautista Merlini, Alejandro Piedrahita; Marcelo Torres. Coach: Fernando Zaniratto

Stadium: 15 de Abril

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