González Pirez, one of the highlights of Pincha / Nicolás Braicovich
Estudiantes were solid again in the playoffs, conceding no goals for the third game in a row. Undoubtedly that changed after a year in which he almost always scored at least one goal. A key factor was the inclusion of Leandro González Pirez alongside Santiago Núñez in defense.
The end of the regular phase brought them many defensive problems as they finished Zone A of the Championship with three consecutive defeats and five goals conceded.
However, Domínguez chose the Núñez-González Pirez duo for the game against Central. And it turned out to be quite beneficial as the team improved defensively along with the work of the midfielders.
The team gained confidence in defense and maintained the same performance against Central Córdoba and yesterday against Gimnasia. He became stronger in the air and finished better even in very complicated games.
Analyzing the data so far in the Clausura, Estudiantes have managed to keep a clean sheet in 7 of the 19 games they have played so far in the Clausura. This means that half of the games in which there were no goals conceded were one-on-one games.
However, it was a deficit that they also had in the first semester, where they conceded several goals, except for the goalkeeper Matías Mansilla. With the exception of the Copa Libertadores, where Estudiantes were among the strongest in the competition, scoring goals in only three of the ten games played.
ALARIO, THE SURPRISE
Eduardo Domínguez surprised again with a classic. This time with the addition of Lucas Alario as a starter after no minutes were added for a long time since the start. However, the plan failed as the striker was out of sync.
Undoubtedly, the coach’s decision was noteworthy, especially given the inactivity of Alario, who had recovered from a tear weeks ago. He had added minutes against Central Córdoba, but against Rosario Central he didn’t even play.
Pincha kept a clean sheet in 7 of the 19 games they played in the Clausura tournament
Given Guido Carrillo’s suspension, Barba decided to give him the confidence for this important game and make him a starter after more than two appearances. The striker last played on September 30 in a 1-1 draw against Newell’s in Rosario. Then he missed several games due to injury and lost ground as a result.
However, the plan didn’t work for the coach as the team was never able to find him despite some good passes at the start. However, compared to the speed of his companions, he was seen less in gear. There is no doubt that he was unable to contribute to the team and was substituted in the 25th minute of the game.
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