Universidad de Chile beat O'Higgins 1-0 in Rancagua, staying in the race for Chile 2 despite playing with one man down and new injuries. Maximiliano Guerrero's goal sealed the win in an intense match. Coach Gustavo Álvarez praised the team's character but raised alarms over the squad's physical fatigue.
At Rancagua's Estadio El Teniente, Universidad de Chile played a crucial 'final' for their Primera División aspirations. The blues took the lead in the 23rd minute with a goal from Maximiliano Guerrero, but the match turned tough at the 60th minute when Matías Sepúlveda was sent off, forcing the team to hold on with ten players for half an hour. Despite the challenges, they preserved the 1-0 scoreline until the end, securing three vital points.
The win propelled U to third place with 51 points, in the Chile 3 qualification zone, and kept them just three points behind Universidad Católica, who sit second after beating Palestino. Gustavo Álvarez, speaking to TNT Sports, called the game 'vibrant, with a lot of back-and-forth in the first half', partly due to O'Higgins' attacking approach and high defensive line, creating chances like 'two or three goal plays' by exploiting spaces.
In the second half, the strategy was to control the tempo to curb verticality, but the red card necessitated tactical shifts. 'Fatigue is starting to show, running with one less is tough, but the team's character once again allowed us to get the three points', the coach stated, highlighting the mounting exhaustion. This wear is compounded by recent injuries: Lucas Assadi was already sidelined, and now right-back Fabián Hormazábal suffered a muscular issue at the 15th minute, substituted due to fatigue from Chile's national team tour in Russia.
Looking ahead to the match against Coquimbo Unido, Álvarez must devise a new lineup, aiming not only to earn points and close in on the 2026 Copa Libertadores but also to defend the historic Ballet Azul's streak of consecutive wins, which the pirates are one victory away from matching.