Universidad de Chile blanks La Serena 3-0, stays in the hunt for international spot

Three goals, a clean sheet, and a Fernando Gago who came out afterward to calmly explain why the match felt like an uphill climb for 45 minutes. Universidad de Chile beat Deportes La Serena 3-0 in the 2026 Liga de Primera, and with that result they remain squarely in the fight for the "Chile 2" spot, the international ticket that has become an obsession for Los Azules in the second half of the season.

The match, though, didn't start out the way the coach had drawn it up on the board. As Gago himself admitted, U. de Chile rushed things too much in buildup, and that cost them fluidity in the first 45 minutes. "In the first half we were a bit hurried on the final pass, in the buildup phase, where we knew the opponent was going to press. In the second half we played the match the way we'd planned it. The team understood how to play the game," the Argentine coach explained after the final whistle.

So what changed after the break? Basically, patience. U. de Chile stopped forcing through balls and started circulating possession with more purpose, and that ended up showing on the scoreboard. Even so, Gago offered some self-criticism about the closing minutes, when the team already had the lead secured: "At times we rushed things. With the lead in hand, we gave up the ball a bit too easily, and I think we need to hold onto possession more when we're ahead, like in those final minutes."

Marcelo Diaz's introduction, the missing piece

One of the high points of the afternoon was Marcelo Diaz coming off the bench in the second half. The midfielder, with all his experience managing a match's rhythm, gave U. de Chile exactly what it needed: composure, judgment, and that final pass that had been missing in the first half. Gago was direct in praising his contribution: "I felt the match was made for him, for providing that last pass, that buildup play, where a good pass, a good start to the move, lets you create attacking chances."

It's no coincidence that the team's best stretch coincided with the minutes "Chelo" spent on the field. His reading of the game, honed over a career spent running midfields, proved decisive in getting U. de Chile to play the match "the way it had been planned," in the coach's own words.

The other topic Gago had to address was the absence of Charles Aranguiz, a notable loss in midfield. The coach explained it was a physical issue that kept him unavailable for this match, though he didn't sound concerned about a serious injury: "He had some discomfort and wasn't available for this match. Tomorrow we'll see how he's doing, and based on that, we believe he'll be back as soon as possible so he can be training next week."

With this win, Universidad de Chile builds a stronger case to keep fighting near the top of the table, and gives Gago reason to keep pushing the idea of managing game time better once the result is already in hand, a detail that, by his own account, can still be sharpened.