Rosario Central won with control, but Aldosivi held the game together with very little and almost tied it
Rosario Central prevailed 2-1 at the Gigante de Arroyito, with a big gap in possession and in what it created: 72% to 28% and 2.3 scoring chances to 0.7. Aldosivi, even with less of the ball, was sharper in front of goal and produced an extremely efficient attacking performance.
Rosario Central beat 2-1 Aldosivi at the Estadio Gigante de Arroyito, in a match that left a clear takeaway: the home side controlled the ball and created far more, but the game stayed tense until the end because Aldosivi could still hurt them with very little. The difference in chance creation was significant: 2.3 scoring chances for Rosario Central compared with 0.7 for Aldosivi, with possession split 72% to 28%.
Tactical reading
Rosario Central lined up in 4-2-3-1 and leaned on territorial control and a high volume of shots: 24 attempts, although only 4 were on target. That points to a sustained presence around the opposition box, but also to finishing that did not always turn into clean chances. Even so, the overall numbers show that the home side was the team that pushed most, had the ball most, and generated most.
Aldosivi, set up in 4-4-2, operated from a much more reactive stance. It had just 28% possession and took 9 shots, but with notable efficiency: 5 of those were on target. That contrast with the possession figures explains why the match did not break open earlier. With less circulation and less volume, the visitors found ways to arrive with greater precision in the final third.
The result, then, does not contradict what was produced, but it does show an important nuance: Rosario Central was the team with the stronger overall case by volume and control, while Aldosivi stayed in it thanks to a far more efficient ratio between its chances and shots on target. On the whole, the 2-1 is more in line with what the home side created, even if not by a crushing margin in the closing stretch.
The standouts
The top match ratings also offer an interesting reading of what happened on the pitch:
- Ángel Di María (Rosario Central) — 8.5
- A. Sosa (Aldosivi) — 8.5
- J. Campaz (Rosario Central) — 8.2
The highest rating for the home side went to Ángel Di María, with 8.5, in a team that had the ball, drove forward through volume, and relied on its best-rated players to sustain the dominance. For Aldosivi, A. Sosa also reached 8.5, which fits with the visitors' very strong attacking response in a context of lower possession and lower total production. J. Campaz, with 8.2, completed the trio of best ratings and also left his mark on the scoreline.
The turning point
The match swung between the equalizer and the final outcome. A. Sosa made it 1-1 in the 52', and later N. Zalazar scored an own goal in the 61', a play that definitively tipped the balance toward Rosario Central. After that blow, the home side managed the match with the lead in hand and finished off the win with J. Campaz's goal in the 80'.
That stretch defined the meaning of the contest: Aldosivi had found a way to stay alive, but the game continued to favor the team that controlled more and created more. The own goal ended up being the hinge that gave Rosario Central an advantage it then knew how to manage.
The closing numbers tell a pretty clear story: Rosario Central won because it was the team that spent more time in the opposition half, took more shots, and created more. Aldosivi, despite the disadvantage in possession and volume, showed enough efficiency to keep the match open until the decisive stretch.
