Di María converts penalty in second half as Rosario Central beats Tigre at the Monumental

A penalty awarded by VAR and converted by Ángel Di María was enough for Rosario Central to take all three points from the Monumental de Victoria (José Dellagiovanna): 0-1 over Tigre, in an Argentine Primera División match that was decided by a single blow in the second half.

The first half had been even, with chances at both ends but no real sharpness in front of goal: Alan Barrionuevo tried a header in the 8th minute, Mauro Méndez tested the goal both in the air and on the ground through the first half hour, and for Rosario Central, Jáminton Campaz and Alan Rodríguez had looks of their own without finding the target. With those chances shared out fairly evenly, it was 0-0 at the break.

The penalty that changed everything

The second half opened at a brisk pace, and in the 53rd minute came the play that would decide the match: Valentín Moreno fouled Jáminton Campaz inside the box. Referee Andrés Merlos was called to review the play and, after the VAR review in the 54th minute, confirmed the penalty for Rosario Central. Di María made no mistake: in the 59th minute he sent a left footed shot into the right side of the net for the 1-0 that would hold up as the final score.

Tigre tried to respond with substitutions (Dómina, Serrago, Leyes and Subiabre all came on) and had one last chance in stoppage time with a header from Alan Barrionuevo, but couldn't break down Rosario Central's defense. To make matters worse, in the 75th minute Emanuel Coronel was shown a second yellow card for dangerous play, leaving the visitors down a man for the final stretch, though that didn't stop them from holding on to the lead until the final whistle in the 97th minute, after lengthy stoppage time.

By the numbers

Rosario Central controlled the ball more and created more clear scoring chances, though the stats show a more even match than the final score suggests.

The post match xG, calculated from the location of each shot, offers an interesting detail: 1.854 for Tigre against 2.226 for Rosario Central. In other words, beyond the tight scoreline, the visiting side also generated somewhat more real danger in front of the opposing goal, in line with how things ultimately played out on the scoreboard.

What it means in the standings

In Group B, Rosario Central moved up to 15 points, with a record of four wins, three draws and two losses in nine matches played, sitting just three points behind Tigre in the standings. Tigre, for its part, remained on 12 points, the product of three wins, three draws and three losses across the same number of matches. Neither team is currently in position to fight for the top spots in the group, but the loss leaves Tigre a bit further from that pack.

Without a goal of its own and with the penalty as the only difference, Tigre is left with the feeling of having been competitive in the run of play but unable to turn it into goals, while Rosario Central walks away with a win built on efficiency from the spot and Di María's finish at just the right moment.