Racing could not even with an alternative Estudiantes

Racing and Estudiantes have finished playing this Professional League. They continue to do so, it is true, but they are a mirage: a hologram of what they knew how to be. Now they only have to complete the grid of dates to try to be in the qualifying zone for the Cups, and focus on their true objective: Pincha in the Sudamericana and La Academia in the Libertadores. The rest matters little.

The boring tie that they staged last night in La Plata validates that theory. There were expectations of a great game or a nice game, but it was soporific. There was more friction than associated game. Racing at least completed a streak of eight games without defeat (five draws and three wins), while Estudiantes has four consecutive draws.

Last night they shared out the first half: Estudiantes started better, with some approaches from Rollheiser, but Racing finished better, who had control of the ball and got closer to Andújar’s goal. However, this duality between one and the other was not validated with clear situations of danger. There was barely one per side (and they were not very clear): a placed shot that passed very close to Jonatan Gómez’s post at minute 22, and another at minute 31 from Leo Godoy, who saw Gabriel Arias ahead and stung him. The ball remained on the roof of the goal: it was a good attempt, but also proof that situations were created by individual or duo advances.

Eduardo Domínguez made three changes to Estudiantes at halftime, thinking about the Copa Sudamericana match against Barcelona from Ecuador that will be played this Wednesday.

The Estudiantes B that was planted in the second part could have converted with a shot from Mancuso that Arias took next to a post, or with a header from Boselli, slightly advanced. But what was Racing doing to worry? Nothing. Even facing a team of substitutes, Gago’s men did not know how to prevail. Neither by game nor by attitude.