Barracas Central defeated Deportivo Riestra 1-0 in the round of 16 of the Torneo Clausura in the Liga Profesional, with a late goal by Nicolás Blandi in the second half of extra time. Despite playing with one man down after Iván Guaraz's expulsion, the team coached by Rubén Insúa advanced to the quarterfinals. Riestra, which dominated shots on goal, failed to convert its chances.
The match took place at the Guillermo Laza stadium in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, starting at 5:00 PM Argentina time and broadcast on TNT Sports. The game ended 0-0 in regular time, leading to extra time. In the second half, at the 38th minute, Iván Guaraz of Barracas Central was sent off by referee Nicolás Ramírez, leaving his team with ten players.
During extra time, Riestra created more danger with 16 shots on goal compared to Barracas's 7, and 46% possession against their rival's 54%. However, Barracas goalkeeper Marcelo Miño was crucial with several saves, including chances from Antony Alonso and Alexander Díaz. Riestra's goalkeeper Ignacio Arce left injured in the finger after a collision with Facundo Bruera.
The decisive goal came at the 10th minute of the second half of extra time, when Nicolás Blandi, who entered as a substitute at halftime of extra time, finished off an assist from Tomás Porra. Barracas Central, with this historic win, will face the winner of Unión de Santa Fe and Gimnasia La Plata in the quarterfinals. Both teams had already qualified for the 2026 Copa Sudamericana, marking a successful year.
AFA president Claudio Tapia attended the match. Final statistics show Riestra with 246 accurate passes and 3 yellows, while Barracas had 235 accurate passes, 4 yellows, and 1 red.