Increasingly closer to the definition, the League Cup does not give respite, with the dispute of the twelfth and antepenultimate date, in a stretch in which the eight teams that will continue in action in a few days in search of of the title.
In Avellaneda, Racing had to settle for a 0-0 draw against Newell’s, a result that ended his streak of 10 consecutive victories in all competitions, although he remains unbeaten anyway, first in Zone 1 of the League Cup and with a place in the pocket to the quarterfinals. There are a couple of days left for those led by Fernando Gago to consolidate themselves in first place, with a view to the qualifying rounds. “The qualification for the second stage of this Cup is important, because it is a goal that we had before the start. But we can’t stay with just this: We have to keep competing and looking for more according to the objectives ahead of us”, assured Gago, after a tie in which his team deserved more, but he was unable to specify the many opportunities he had, between inaccuracies and a great afternoon from Arboleda, the Colombian goalkeeper from Newell’s.
In any case, the Academy already has the route to first place pretty well paved. With 28 points, he was five ahead of River and Newell’s, and eight ahead of Sarmiento and Argentinos Juniors, who will meet on Monday night. River had the chance to close the gap, but had to resign itself to a bland 1-1 at the Monumental against Atlético Tucumán. Beyond a night with little taste, Marcelo Gallardo’s team still has great chances of qualifying; on the next date he will visit Sarmiento, one of his direct rivals. A little further was Defense and Justice, which tied in an agonizing 1-1 with Platense in Florencio Varela.
For Zone 2, Estudiantes consolidated their classification on Friday night with an agonizing 2-2 draw in Santa Fe against Colón, with a formidable free kick by Kociubinski in the 98th minute. With 25 points in his account, the Russian Zielinski team is already in the quarterfinals.
In the midst of a complex week, Boca took a breather with a 2-1 win in Santiago del Estero against Central Córdoba; vital to regain confidence after several draws that had not been resolved favorably. Even without showing off, Sebastián Battaglia’s team unlocked the match with the scoring comeback of Eduardo Salvio and in the safety of Javier García, who saved a penalty and contained another six shots to net.
Although there are still several matches to be played for the twelfth date -and which are important, because several teams play with chances of qualifying-, this is how the quarterfinals would be played today:
1° Zone 1 vs. 4° Zone 2: Racing vs. Tigre
2 ° Zone 1 vs. 3rd Zone 2: River vs. Aldosivi
3rd Zone 1 vs. 2nd Zone 2: Newell’s vs. Mouth
4th Zone 1 vs. 1st Zone 2: Argentine Juniors vs. Students