Big point for La Lepra before facing Unión | OneFootball

Frank Darío Kudelka’s team dominated the first half hour with order and intensity, but paid dearly for its lack of presence in the opposition box. With the teams below them losing, the point allows them to widen the gap in the fight to avoid relegation.

It was a game of two very different halves at Parque Independencia. In the first half, Newell’s had complete control of the ball and the space. With suffocating pressure and quick transitions, the red-and-black side neutralized a San Lorenzo team that did not have a single shot on target during the first 30 minutes.

Newell’s best play came down the wings: Walter Mazzantti was a nightmare on the right and Jerónimo Russo brought determination on the left. However, all that neat play faded away once they reached the box. Without a finishing touch, the home side had to settle for long-range efforts that did not trouble goalkeeper Gill.

Injuries and the second-half drop-off

The course of the match was affected by injuries. Newell’s lost its attacking weapons early:

In the second half, the team ran out of steam. It lost possession, the football disappeared, and the match became stop-start and scrappy. San Lorenzo loosened up and had the clearest chance through Cuello, but a goal-saving sliding tackle from Salomón, one of the team’s standout performers, kept the red-and-black goal from falling.

Looking at the overall standings

Beyond the lack of sparkle at the end, the main objective is being achieved. Newell’s took advantage of the fact that its direct rivals near the bottom failed to pick up points:

Nothing to complain about, but plenty to improve. Newell’s has stopped losing, keeps picking up points and, little by little, the bottom of the table looks farther and farther away. Kudelka’s path is one match at a time, and next Friday they will face a tough challenge in the provincial capital.

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