Di María Lights Up Córdoba as Rosario Central Secure Crucial Away Victory

Rosario Central maintained their position atop Liga Profesional Argentina with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Racing Club at Estadio Presidente Perón, though they were made to work far harder than the final scoreline suggests.

The league leaders struck twice in the opening 35 minutes through Ángel Di María and Alexis Veliz to establish what appeared a commanding lead. Di María opened the scoring on 24 minutes with a trademark finish, before Veliz doubled the advantage 11 minutes later as Central’s clinical edge shone through.

Racing Club, sitting third before kick-off, dominated possession throughout the contest with 71% of the ball and registered 21 shots to Central’s six. Their persistence paid dividends deep into first-half stoppage time when Adrián Martínez pulled one back with a goal that required VAR confirmation, setting up a tense second period.

The statistics painted a picture of Central’s defensive resilience under sustained pressure. Racing’s goalkeeper made six saves compared to just one for his opposite number, whilst the visitors’ compact 4-2-3-1 formation stifled the hosts’ 4-3-3 system despite Racing’s territorial dominance.

Central’s pragmatic approach perfectly suited their position as league leaders, with 31 points from 16 matches maintaining their three-point advantage over their nearest challengers. Their superior goal difference of +10 compared to Racing’s +3 provided additional breathing room in the title race.

The victory extended Central’s excellent recent form to four wins from five matches, whilst Racing’s inability to convert their overwhelming shot advantage (21-6) highlighted the difference between the sides. Racing managed just three shots on target despite their possession dominance, underlining Central’s defensive organisation.

Fernando Echenique’s officiating was kept busy in a fractious encounter that saw eight yellow cards distributed evenly between the sides, with both teams making full use of their substitution allowances as the match wore on.

Central’s ability to secure maximum points whilst being thoroughly outplayed for large periods demonstrates the championship mentality that has them perfectly positioned at the summit with 14 matches remaining.