Two wins, two leaders

Roberto Sensini points the way for his team as Newell's go top

Monday evening’s matches saw Banfield claim a 2-1 victory at home to Estudiantes, and Newell’s grab a late win by the same scoreline away to Tigre. With these results, both teams go joint top with 26 points, two ahead of champions Vélez and three ahead of Estudiantes and San Lorenzo. Colón could go joint third with Vélez if they beat Huracán on Tuesday night in the last match of round 11. Joaquín Boghossian had a mixed night for Newell’s whilst Banfield vs Estudiantes featured three true golazos. You can catch them here.

Boghossian scored an own goal in the 68th minute which drew Tigre level with their visitors just two minutes after Newell’s had taken a hard-fought lead through Mauro Fórmica. Just five minutes from the end, though, the forward headed in the winning goal to atone for his earlier mistake and leave Roberto Sensini’s side level with Banfield at the top of the league.

Banfield had reached that lofty position by beating Estudiantes – who themselves would have gone top with a win – 2-1 in El Sur. Santiago Silva got the scoring started, obviously, with his twelfth of the campaign just ten minutes in, brilliantly dragging back a ball bouncing away from goal before turning on it and arrowing it into the bottom corner. Eight minutes before the break, Juan Sebastián Verón scored a goal of less finesse but no less spectacle, almost breaking the crossbar from 35 yards – the ball cannoned down and into the net.

It was left to Walter Erviti to win the game for Banfield halfway through the second half, with the first goal of Banfield’s campaign to be scored by an Argentine. Bursting into the box, the midfielder cut inside his man before lifting the ball beyond Damián Albil in the Estudiantes goal.

On Sunday, Chacarita and Argentinos drew 2-2, the hosts twice taking the lead, through Cristian Grabinski and Facundo Parra, but both times being pegged back – first by Nicolás Pavlovich and then by Mauro Bogado in the 90th minute. River lost 1-0 at home to Lanús, Maxi Velázquez scoring the only goal half an hour in; Rosario Central defeated Boca Juniors 2-1, goals from Jesús Méndez and Gonzalo Castillejos bookending Juan Krupoviesa’s equaliser, and Arsenal beat Independiente 1-0 courtesy of a Franco Jara goal just before the hour mark.

I’m away for the next couple of nights for gigs in Manchester and London, so if I’m able to the full scores, scorers and goal video post for this round will be online on Wednesday – if not it’ll be Thursday evening when I’m back home.