Late Drama as Instituto Hold High-Flying Lanus to Thrilling Draw

Instituto Córdoba rescued a dramatic 2-2 draw against Lanus in stoppage time at the Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes, denying the visitors what would have been a crucial victory in their title chase.

The match appeared destined for a Lanus victory when Marcelino Moreno’s 71st-minute strike put the Buenos Aires side 2-1 ahead, but substitute Miguel Gallardo had other ideas, firing home a 93rd-minute equaliser to send the home crowd into raptures.

Instituto, languishing in 13th place with just 16 points from 16 matches, took a surprise lead through Franco Jara’s penalty on 25 minutes. The spot-kick, awarded after an early period dominated by bookings, gave the struggling hosts hope of claiming a rare victory against one of the league’s form teams.

Lanus, sitting second in the Liga Profesional with 30 points and an impressive points-per-game average of 1.88, responded predictably. Santiago Marcich restored parity nine minutes into the second half, capitalising on the visitors’ superior quality and depth.

The decisive moment appeared to arrive when Marcelino Moreno completed what seemed a routine comeback for Lanus with 19 minutes remaining. The goal epitomised the gulf in class between the sides - Instituto’s woeful form reading of five defeats from their last six matches compared to Lanus’s title-challenging consistency.

Yet football’s capacity for late drama proved decisive. With Lanus seemingly content to see out the victory, Gallardo’s intervention deep into stoppage time earned Instituto a precious point that could prove vital in their battle against relegation.

The match was notable for its ill-tempered nature, with referee Bryan Ferreyra showing six yellow cards across both sides. Instituto’s disciplinary issues - already evident in their poor defensive record of -8 goal difference - continued to plague their performance.

For Lanus, this represents two points dropped in their pursuit of the title. With the Liga Profesional’s 30-team format demanding consistency across a long campaign, such slip-ups against lower-table opposition could prove costly in the final reckoning.

Instituto will view this result as a potential turning point in their season, whilst Lanus must quickly refocus on maintaining their championship challenge.