Belgrano get justice after Falcón Pérez blunder, win in Rosario | OneFootball

The Canalla started ahead with a penalty goal by Di María, but the Pirate snatched the victory at the end thanks to an own goal by Mallo and a stunning goal by Gutiérrez. It was 2-1 for the Cordoban team at the Gigante de Arroyito. Three of the four auriazul reinforcements played.

In the debut of coach Jorge Almirón, Rosario Central started off on the wrong foot in the 2026 Torneo Apertura: they fell 2-1 against Belgrano de Córdoba this Saturday night at the Gigante de Arroyito.

The Canalla left with a bitter taste due to how the match unfolded: they started ahead with a penalty shout from Di María and, when it seemed they had it secured, the Pirate equalized with an own goal by Mallo and won it with a bombshell from the young Gutiérrez.

Almirón's first Central took to the field with a 3-4-3 (or 5-2-3) with Di María as the right winger, Campaz on the left, and two wing-backs —Enzo Giménez and Sández— spread wide in an attempt to make a wide team with advances on the flanks. Pizarro and Ibarra shared the midfield. The Cordoban Pirate wanted to fight for possession in the early stages of the match, but the Canalla took control of the ball. However, at least at the start, they had little clarity to transform that possession into threats to the rival goal.

Belgrano, on the other hand, was quick to capitalize on some Canalla errors, and on a couple of occasions managed to shoot at Ledesma's goal, who responded well. The clearest was a shot by Nicolás Fernández from the edge of the box.

But Central pushed on the left with Campaz and got their reward, albeit not without controversy, with time already up in the first half: Angelito was fouled, the referee sanctioned it with the help of VAR, and Fideo himself, with a left-footed shot that deceived the goalkeeper, made it 1-0 in Arroyito. Although the decision was disputed by Belgrano.

Read more: VIDEO DI MARÍA DID IT AGAIN, felt the contact in the area, DIVE, Falcón Pérez bought it and it was IN

Central came out determined to control the match in the second half to try to seal it and suffer as little as possible. The best of the team was still on the left with the speed and dribbling of Campaz. But the closest to extending the lead was Enzo Giménez, with a header that hit the crossbar although it seemed offside.

Nonetheless, Belgrano managed to put Almirón's team in trouble. Before the Paraguayan's header, Uvita Fernández missed an almost certain goal by shooting wide, after a surgical pass from Zelarrayán. Shortly after, Rigoni tried from outside and the ball bounced before the Canalla goalkeeper, who managed to cushion the impact with his body and arms to clear the danger.

Gradually, the Cordoban team began to tilt the field in their favor. With Zelarrayán having a very good night, Central had to retreat and the coach dismantled the line of three central defenders to play with four defenders (Coronel came in and Soto went out). The Pirate had some opportunities to equalize, although they weren't sharp in the final meters. For the Canalla, each counterattack was a chance to seal the story.

The Rosarinos forgave in the chances they had and paid dearly because the Pirate turned it around in a flash. First, Mallo ended up scoring an own goal after a tangled play in the small area. And immediately, the young Lautaro Gutiérrez unleashed a tremendous right-footed shot that left Ledesma standing still. The Canalla went from 1-0 to 1-2 in the blink of an eye.

And there was no time for more in Rosario. Central was left, surprisingly, empty-handed because they couldn't finish off or hold off Belgrano, who significantly raised their level in the second half.

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