R. Martinez’s 89th-minute winner keeps Velez unbeaten after 10 Clausura games

R. Martinez scored in the 89th minute as Velez Sarsfield beat Tigre 3-2 at Jose Amalfitani on Monday. The victory extended Velez’s unbeaten Clausura start to 10 matches, with five wins and five draws.

How it happened

Velez led after 14 minutes when R. Martinez finished from M. Pellegrini’s assist. Tigre levelled in the 57th minute through I. Russo, set up by J. Saralegui, but Velez regained control of the scoreline at 67 minutes when J. Policella converted with J. Garcia providing the assist. J. Domina restored parity for Tigre in the 87th minute, only for Martinez to strike again two minutes later after D. Valdes’s pass.

The numbers

Velez’s home record already stood at 8 wins, 4 draws and 2 losses before this match, with 16 goals scored and 10 conceded. Tigre’s away record was 2 wins, 5 draws and 6 losses, including 13 goals scored and 14 conceded. Velez had also kept six clean sheets at home, compared with three for Tigre on the road.

Who decided it

Martinez supplied the game’s defining contribution with two goals, one in each half and the second arriving in the 89th minute. The brace moved the Velez forward to eight league goals in 25 appearances, level with Tigre’s I. Russo, who has eight goals and three assists in 26 appearances. M. Méndez is another Tigre scorer on seven goals, with three assists in 21 appearances.

Why it matters

Velez moved to second in Clausura Group A with 20 points from 10 games and a goal difference of six. Tigre remained 10th in Group B on 12 points from 10 matches, with a goal difference of zero.