Little football in Liniers: Vélez held by Riestra, now share top spot | OneFootball

Vélez Sarsfield and Deportivo Riestra ended in a 0-0 draw in a match with few thrills held at the José Amalfitani Stadium. On the seventh matchday of the 2026 Apertura Tournament, Guillermo Barros Schelotto's team couldn't break through the "Malevo's" defensive lock, and although they remain at the top of the table with 15 points, they now have to share that privileged position with Estudiantes de La Plata.

The match began with the visitors making an early warning. Just 1 minute in, Jonathan Herrera tried a volley that Álvaro Montero saved without any trouble. The clearest chance of the entire afternoon came at 18 minutes into the first half, when Antony Alonso found himself one-on-one after a through pass, but Vélez's Colombian goalkeeper managed to deflect his cross shot. The "Fortín" only managed to threaten at 33 minutes through an individual play by Manuel Lanzini that ended in the hands of Ignacio Arce.

In the second half, the pace of the game didn't change much. Vélez tried to show a more aggressive side with advances from Lanzini and Imanol Machuca at 11 minutes, but the lack of precision was a constant in the home team's attack. Riestra, on the other hand, defended well and relied on isolated counterattacks, like a shot from Nicolás Sansotre at 29 minutes that went over the crossbar after a series of rebounds in the Fortín area.

Towards the end, at 35 minutes, full-back Elías Gómez had the chance to give the home team the victory after a flicked header at the near post, but his shot went wide. With this draw, Vélez will now have to focus on the leaders' duel they will play next Monday, March 2, against the "Pincha." Meanwhile, Gustavo Benítez's team gained a valuable point in their fight in the lower zone and is already thinking about their next match against Platense.

Match Summary

Vélez: Álvaro Montero; Joaquín García, Emanuel Mammana, Lisandro Magallán, Elías Gómez; Rodrigo Aliendro, Lucas Robertone; Tobías Andrada, Manuel Lanzini, Imanol Machuca; Florián Monzón. Coach: Guillermo Barros Schelotto.

Riestra: Ignacio Arce; Nicolás Sansotre, Juan Randazzo, Cristian Paz, Facundo Miño, Pedro Ramírez; Nicolás Watson, Jonatan Goitia, Antony Alonso; Alexander Díaz, Jonathan Herrera. Coach: Gustavo Benítez.

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