Sportivo Belgrano R Norte took a hard-earned victory, a tight and well-worked one against Ferro Balvanera in the matchday 8 fixture of the Primera L de CABA. The 1-0 in the home side's favour came with Sasha Barbieri scoring the goal, the right-sided midfielder who, at 22, continues to show the composure that has marked him out since his first steps at Regional. Belgrano controlled things without strangling the game, with a 4-4-2 shape that found a balance between containment and going forward. Ferro also came with the same setup, with similar intentions, but lacked precision in the final metres to really trouble Gino Bilbao in the home goal.
The match was tight, with no excessive scares. Olivier Pessina led Belgrano's midfield with assurance, playing with the clarity that sets him apart, although he ended up booked. At the back, Kiki Arrarte held the line despite an early yellow card that forced him to tread carefully in the second half. For Ferro, Salvador Zanchi tried to organise things from the centre of the park with his 33 years of experience, but he too went into the book. Oliverio Scopelliti, at 37 years of age, did his job at right-back without incident. Left winger Horacio Bonansea had his minutes but could not find clear spaces to do damage. The difference came through that Barbieri goal, as he knew exactly where to be when Belgrano created their best chance.
Belgrano pick up three valuable points at home and keep adding in the upper reaches of the table. For Ferro, this result leaves the feeling of a match that could have been approached differently in attack, even if the team were not far off. Another matchday where balance beat unbridled enthusiasm, where effectiveness mattered more than spectacle.
Sportivo Belgrano R Norte came in with 2 wins, 2 draws and 1 defeat in their last 5 matches.
Ferro Balvanera came in with 1 win, 3 draws and 1 defeat in their last 5 matches.
In the last meeting between Sportivo Belgrano R Norte and Ferro Balvanera: 0 wins for Sportivo Belgrano R Norte, 0 draws and 1 for Ferro Balvanera.
Full Sportivo Belgrano R Norte vs Ferro Balvanera head-to-head →
Sportivo Belgrano R Norte (4-4-2): Gino Bilbao, Lauti Quintana, Kiki Arrarte, Stefano Resa, Yago Zazzaroni, Gabi Castelo, Alberto Braun, Olivier Pessina, Sasha Barbieri, Santi Arazandi, Santi Yedro.
Ferro Balvanera (4-4-2): Giuliano Doval, Jeremías Villegas, Hugo Montoya, Gabriel Centurion, Oliverio Scopelliti, Horacio Bonansea, Misael Arrojo, Salvador Zanchi, Tomi Cortés, Lorenzo Egea, Luis Fischer.
In Primera L - CABA, Sportivo Belgrano R Norte are in position 16 with 32 points; Ferro Balvanera are in position 13 with 37 points. See the full table
Sportivo Belgrano R Norte ("Los kekes del acenso"), with 1,551 fans. Home ground: Estadio Belgrano.
Ferro Balvanera, with 1,644 fans. Home ground: Estadio Balvanera.
Next match for Sportivo Belgrano R Norte: vs su proximo rival — Sunday 1 November at 01:15 GMT
Next match for Ferro Balvanera: vs su proximo rival — Sunday 1 November at 01:00 GMT
This match was played by two real managers on ELDT, the free online football manager game. Take your own club from the bottom all the way to the top flight.