Independiente and Racing on par in the hottest classic of recent times

The end of the series in the Libertadores de América Ricardo Enrique Bochini is different from that of the last chapters. There is no hissing curtain. This time it is sung by Independiente and the applause rains down. The anger is directed against Yael Falcón Pérez, who He received a highly controversial penalty. The red mass is lost by Alsina with a little more optimism in Ricardo Zielinski’s debut. Racing will have to evaluate the draw. Beyond the fact that it has a campus with a higher hierarchy than its neighbor, it couldn’t weigh it down. And a too trivial second half, with little football and a lot of disorder, was held in the firmness of Leonardo Sigali. From midfield forward, Rodrigo Rey hardly worried. It came from two consecutive defeats and could not lose the classic.

Passion in the stands, a welcome commensurate with the size of this match, with lots of color and red smoke. Independiente needed to show another face to its people. In particular, due to the anticipation generated by the change of coach with the arrival of Zielinski. Racing had everything clearer, beyond the defeats that dragged on. In this context, the first half was even. With outstanding individuals, but erratic performance by one team or another.

Independiente has thought of the duel from the well-known recipe by Russian. Order, intensity and direct play. The 4-4-2 wasn’t surprising, but Mauricio Cuero’s imbalance was needed. On the right, the Colombian was a problem for Gabriel Rojas and Gonzalo Piovi. Up front, the double “9” with Martín Cauteruccio spearhead disturbed the Biancoceleste defense, which stopped with Tomás Avilés starting from five, but entering the cave to collaborate with the defenders.

And the first success of the classic came like this. A counterattack led by Cuero, a cross from behind by Matías Giménez and a fantastic definition by Cauteruccio. Of course, the Uruguayan had time to lower the ball with his chest and shake it with his right hand which hit the post and left Gabriel Arias with no way out. Visiting middle managers were very passive.

Racing arrived in Bochini and Alsina with the usual 4-3-3 in which Fernando Gago chose Avilés as central midfielder, especially for his defensive predisposition, and Jonathan Gómez and Juan Nardoni as insiders. However, the main key is always Matías Rojas. And although he was imprecise at the start, almost in tune with the rest of his teammates, he showed his flashes of him.

On a corner from the Paraguayan, which Rey fails to cut, he nearly scores the first of the team Academy. Cauteruccio, however, saved what would have been Gabriel Hauche’s goal on the line. And even at a disadvantage, Racing began to find structures on the sides. Since the Rossoneri midfield was crowded and the team very compact, he tried to cross the balls.

He had two very clear chances before equalizing. First, Matías Rojas opened to right and found Facundo Mura’s overflow. Gómez finished and the ball went just over the crossbar. Later, it was the other Rojas, Gabriel, who sent a cross past which Romero checked, but his shot from point-blank range was blocked in particular give.

Until Independent was wrong. And the referee who was so questioned by the Racing fans also left many doubts in the previous one for his work in the Municipality of Lanús, a post he resigned when he learned that Néstor Grindetti would be the president of Independiente following the departure of Fabián Doman.

Gómez played wide and Nicolás Vallejo pushed Mura into the goal. In none of the images examined by the VAR is it clear whether the offense took place inside the area. It was borderline. Falcón Pérez did not hesitate and the Ezeiza office approved his decision. Matías Rojas exchanged the penalty for a goal.

racing did not have a good volume of play because Gómez always asked for the ball, but it wasn’t so clear. Nardoni accompanied more in the first half but was in charge of the contest when Avilés was injured. The only play produced by Racing was a mid-range shot by Gabriel Rojas that Rey sent for a corner with the tip of his gloves.

Independiente was more intense in the second half. He won the splits. And Braian Martínez’s entry from the left gave him more formation and danger. He pushed, forced Racing, but Independiente didn’t finish a play well and almost kicked Arias’ goal.

In the end the draw it ended up being a deal for both of them. Independiente are yet to win (they haven’t won in eleven rounds), but they haven’t faltered at the start of their new manager’s journey. Racing has cut the edge of the crashes, passed the classic without consequences, but needs to make a qualitative leap.