1'With a full-house atmosphere, the referee gets things going and the ball is rolling; the team want to set the tone.
2'Lionel Esposito went in with too much enthusiasm and gets the whistle.
2'🟨 Yellow card for the defender; now it's a case of playing with a calculator.
4'Ricardo Zapata nips in just before the ball reaches a teammate.
5'The tempo rises and falls, but the tension never goes away.
7'The away side stretch the pitch and make the home side chase shadows. Adjustments are on the way.
8'Theo Bidegain goes in hard out wide and the referee gives the foul. The story is only just beginning.
9'The home side press high and don't give the away side room to breathe.
11'The team need to settle down; they're playing more with nerves than ideas.
15'Risky pass back; the keeper has a fire to put out.
16'The home side stretch the pitch and make the away side chase shadows.
18'The the away side block sets up high; this is risky, but it's ambitious too.
24'Eric Bertini darts in behind and Lisandro Martínez plays the striker in with a superb ball.
25'The the away side press bites around the D; the home side start to lose their clarity. There's still a game on here.
26'The away side manage the ball street-football style, shifting the home side from side to side. The dressing room will have the final say.
27'Theo Bidegain accelerates between the lines and the counter starts to take shape. You can feel the tension from early on.
30'The home side move it about sensibly, with Vicente Zerda as the side's compass.
32'🎯 Román Barrenetxea carries the ball forward...
32'...shapes to shoot from outside the box...
32'Effort from a teammate on the edge of the box; it whistled past and left everyone with the shout stuck in their throats.
34'Ricardo Zapata thinks a step ahead and finds Tato Liendo in the hot zone.
35'🎯 Agustín Dybala carries the ball forward...
35'...shapes to shoot from outside the box...
35'Agustín Dybala hits it from distance and the ball goes looking for the net.
39'The home side manage the ball straight out of the textbook, shifting the away side from side to side.
40'The home side carve the defence open with a surgical touch from Vicente Zerda.
41'🎯 Eric Bertini runs at goal and shapes to shoot...
41'...hits it with his left foot...
41'Eric Bertini tries one from range, powerful, but lacking direction.
42'Manuel Lo Celso plays it back and starts again; sometimes going backwards is attacking too.
46'As the heart rates come down, end of the first half: the team and the opponent head in with plenty to fix.
47'The team find their confidence and aren't rushing so much now.
48'Quick transition: Juan Núñez looks up and searches for the right pass. You can see the work done on the training ground this week.
51'The away side were trying to thread it through, but Jorge Russo closed the door.
52'The home side make life hard for themselves with a sloppy pass down the left.
53'The away side manage the ball with an extra gear, shifting the home side from side to side.
54'Tactical foul from Lisandro Martínez; textbook stuff, although the referee is already keeping an eye on that one. The result will give everyone plenty to chew on.
55'Pass between the lines from Manuel Lo Celso; there was a tiny gap and the vision was there to spot it. Now the ball will do the talking.
56'Manuel Lo Celso tries one from range, powerful, but lacking direction. The weather is playing its part.
57'The home side manage the ball with an extra gear, shifting the away side from side to side.
60'Lionel Esposito slows things down, puts a foot on the ball and waits for a path to open. The weather is playing its part.
61'Agustín Dybala thinks a step ahead and finds Lionel Esposito in the hot zone. You can feel the tension in every yard.
62'A teammate harries the build-up, forces the long ball and gets everyone off their seats.
65'The home side put the game to sleep in the inside channel, trying to tempt the away side out of their shell. The second half promises a different story.
67'Agustín Dybala wins it and releases it quickly; the home side race back to salvage what they can. You can feel the tension from early on.
68'The away side manage the ball with all the know-how, shifting the home side from side to side.
69'The defender sticks out a lifesaving leg and stops a teammate going one-on-one.
72'The the away side press bites down the right; the home side start to lose their clarity. Adjustments are on the way.
74'The away side put the game to sleep hugging the touchline, trying to tempt the home side out of their shell.
77'⚡ Dangerous free kick, Lionel Esposito stands over the ball...
77'...the wall lines up, Lionel Esposito eyes up the goal...
77'...he floats it into the box, everyone goes up...
77'...Juan Núñez appears between the centre-backs...
77'⚽ ⚽ THE PLACE ERUPTS! GOOOOAL! Juan Núñez makes no mistake. 0-1.
80'The away side put the game to sleep on the edge of the box, trying to tempt the home side out of their shell.
82'Pass between the lines from Agustín Dybala; there was a tiny gap and the vision was there to spot it. The away side are in a much better position after that.
83'🛡️ The defence clears the danger and keeps the ball.
86'Chino Iturriaga accelerates through the middle and the counter starts to take shape.
89'The defender turns up exactly where it's burning hot and clears the danger.
90'After ninety intense minutes, final whistle: the ninety-minute drama is over.
Defensores de Almagro Sur