Platense vs Vélez: Overview

In a thrilling encounter at the Estadio Ciudad de Vicente López, CA Platense secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over CA Vélez Sarsfield in the Liga Profesional de Fútbol. The match, played under clear skies on a perfect July evening, saw the home side overcome an early deficit to claim all three points in front of their passionate supporters.

Vélez opened the scoring against the run of play in the 23rd minute through Braian Romero, silencing the home crowd. However, Platense's resilience was evident as they gradually took control of the midfield, with Guido Mainero orchestrating their attacking moves. The equalizer came five minutes before halftime when Nicolás Orsini headed home from a pinpoint cross by Franco Zapiola.

The second half saw Platense dominate possession, and their persistence was rewarded in the 78th minute when Ronaldo Martínez slotted home the winner after a defensive error by Vélez's backline. The victory maintains Platense's impressive home record under Cristian González and keeps them firmly in the hunt for the top positions in the Liga Profesional, while Vélez's struggles continue as they remain near the bottom of the table.

The atmosphere at the Vicente López stadium was electric throughout, with the "Calamar" faithful creating a wall of sound that seemed to lift their team during crucial moments. This result further strengthens Platense's position in the upper echelon of the Argentine top flight, while for Vélez, the defeat represents another setback in what has been a challenging campaign.

We showed tremendous character today. Going behind early can affect a team mentally, but the boys remained focused on our game plan and deserved the three points. Guido [Mainero] and Nicolás [Orsini] were exceptional, but this was truly a collective effort from everyone including those who came off the bench," said Cristian González, Platense's visibly pleased coach.

It's another disappointing result for us. We started well and took the lead, but we couldn't maintain that level throughout the match. The players are giving everything, but small errors are costing us dearly. We need to improve our concentration for the full ninety minutes," admitted Guillermo Schelotto, Vélez's manager, with evident frustration.

Scoring is always special, but doing it to help the team win makes it even more meaningful. We knew Vélez would be tough opponents despite their position in the table, and they proved that today. The support from our fans was incredible – they were like our twelfth man," remarked match-winner Ronaldo Martínez.

Platense demonstrated today why they're competing in the upper half of the table. They showed resilience after conceding and ultimately their home advantage proved decisive. Vélez had their moments but lacked the consistency needed at this level," analyzed former Argentina international and pundit Juan Sebastián Verón.

Possession: CA Platense 56% - 44% CA Vélez Sarsfield

Shots (on target): CA Platense 14 (7) - 9 (3) CA Vélez Sarsfield

Corners: CA Platense 7 - 3 CA Vélez Sarsfield

Fouls: CA Platense 12 - 15 CA Vélez Sarsfield

Yellow Cards: CA Platense 2 (Picco 34', Baldassarra 67') - 3 CA Vélez Sarsfield (Mammana 41', Baeza 59', Magallán 85')

Red Cards: None

Player Statistics:

• Guido Mainero (Platense): 2 key passes, 4 successful dribbles, 91% pass completion
• Nicolás Orsini (Platense): 1 goal, 3 shots on target, 7 aerial duels won
• Ronaldo Martínez (Platense): 1 goal, 2 shots on target, 1 key pass
• Braian Romero (Vélez): 1 goal, 2 shots on target, 4 aerial duels won
• Imanol Machuca (Vélez): 1 assist, 3 key passes, 3 successful dribbles

The statistics highlight Platense's dominance, particularly in the second half when they controlled the tempo and created more meaningful scoring opportunities. Vélez started brightly but faded as the match progressed, managing just one shot on target after the interval. The home side's superiority in midfield, with Leonel Picco and Juan Cozzani establishing control, was reflected in their significant possession advantage.

23' GOAL (0-1) - Against the run of play, Braian Romero gives Vélez the lead with a clinical finish after a quick counter-attack initiated by Imanol Machuca's incisive pass, stunning the home crowd.

34' YELLOW CARD - Platense's Leonel Picco receives the first booking of the match for a tactical foul on Tomás Galván, halting a promising Vélez attack.

40' GOAL (1-1) - Nicolás Orsini equalizes for Platense with a powerful header from Franco Zapiola's precise cross, lifting the home supporters who had been growing anxious.

41' YELLOW CARD - Emanuel Mammana enters the referee's book for a late challenge on Orsini, as tensions rise following the equalizer.

59' YELLOW CARD - Claudio Baeza is cautioned after a reckless tackle on Guido Mainero, who was becoming increasingly influential for the home side.

65' SUBSTITUTION - Vélez makes a double change: Francisco Pizzini replaces Agustín Bouzat, and Santiago Cáseres comes on for Maher Carrizo, as Schelotto seeks to regain control of midfield.

67' YELLOW CARD - Franco Baldassarra receives a yellow card for a cynical shirt pull on Machuca, who was breaking forward dangerously.

72' SUBSTITUTION - Platense's coach González introduces fresh legs with Mauro Zárate replacing Franco Zapiola to add more attacking impetus.

78' GOAL (2-1) - Ronaldo Martínez gives Platense the lead, capitalizing on a defensive mix-up between Mammana and Magallán before cooly finishing past Marchiori, sending the home fans into raptures.

85' YELLOW CARD - Lisandro Magallán is booked for dissent after vigorously protesting a decision that went against Vélez.

90+4' FINAL WHISTLE - After four minutes of added time, the referee ends the contest with Platense securing all three points in this Liga Profesional fixture.

The rivalry between CA Platense and CA Vélez Sarsfield has been historically competitive, with today's result continuing a trend of home advantage being decisive in recent encounters. In their previous five meetings, the home team has now won four times, with just one draw.

Vélez had triumphed in their last encounter on January 29, 2025, securing a 1-0 victory at their El Fortín stadium. However, Platense has now won three consecutive home matches against Vélez, scoring seven goals and conceding just two in those games.

The individual battle between Platense's Guido Mainero and Vélez's Elías Gómez was particularly fascinating today. Mainero consistently got the better of his opponent, completing four successful dribbles past the Vélez defender and creating several dangerous opportunities.

Another key confrontation saw Platense's central defensive partnership of Oscar Salomón and Juan Saborido largely neutralize Vélez's experienced forward Braian Romero after his early goal. They restricted him to just one more attempt on target throughout the remainder of the match.

Historically, these fixtures have averaged 2.3 goals per game over their last ten Liga Profesional meetings, with today's three-goal affair maintaining that trend. The rivalry has intensified in recent years as both clubs have experienced fluctuating fortunes in the Argentine top flight.

Tomás Silva's goalkeeping performance for Platense deserves special mention, as he has now kept Vélez at bay in crucial moments across multiple encounters, establishing himself as something of a nemesis for the "Fortineros" attackers. His commanding presence was evident again today, particularly when dealing with crosses into his penalty area.

Following this result, CA Platense strengthens their position in the Liga Profesional de Fútbol, moving up to 6th place with 24 points from 15 matches. Their impressive home form continues to be the foundation of their campaign, having now won five of their seven home fixtures this season.

CA Vélez Sarsfield remains in deep trouble, currently occupying 23rd position with just 12 points from 15 games. They are now four points adrift of safety and face an increasingly difficult battle to avoid relegation as the season progresses.

For Platense, this victory keeps them within striking distance of the top four, just three points behind fourth-placed Estudiantes. If they can maintain their current form, especially at the Estadio Ciudad de Vicente López, a challenge for Copa Libertadores qualification appears realistic.

Vélez's situation looks increasingly precarious. With one of the poorest defensive records in the competition, having conceded 28 goals already this season, Guillermo Schelotto's side needs a rapid improvement to escape the relegation zone. Their upcoming fixtures against fellow strugglers Godoy Cruz and Central Córdoba will be crucial in determining their fate.

The league leaders, River Plate, remain eight points ahead of Platense, suggesting that a title challenge might be beyond González's team, but their continued presence in the upper echelons of the table represents significant progress for the "Calamar."