Lanús drew 1-1 with Central Córdoba at the Madre de Ciudades stadium and completed the Torneo Clausura regular phase in fifth place in their group with 26 points. The result confirmed a round-of-16 tie against River, fourth in Group B with the same total. The positional difference means a single knockout match at the Monumental, where the Granate cannot manage the comfort of a two-leg series.
Central Córdoba went ahead in the 31st minute through a Tomás Guidara own goal. The defender failed to resolve an action inside the area and sent the ball into his own net. The episode punished a Lanús side that had shown slightly cleaner possession without turning it into penetration. For the hosts, taking the lead offered a chance to close a difficult half-year with a home victory.
Mauricio Pellegrino’s team responded ten minutes later. Marcelino Moreno drove forward in an individual action and released Eduardo Salvio, who finished to establish 1-1 before half-time. Toto’s intervention restored balance and prevented the Granate from facing a more difficult comeback. The goal also confirmed the importance of two experienced players capable of unlocking tight matches.
Lanús circulated the ball better in the second half but did not create the margin required to alter their final position. Central Córdoba again struggled to control the match and finished bottom with 11 points. The draw therefore carried very different consequences: it secured a playoff place for the visitors, while closing a poor numerical campaign and opening a rebuilding process for the Santiago club.
Juan Carlos Roldán took interim charge of Central Córdoba after Sebastián Domínguez’s departure. Goalkeeper Alan Aguerre stated afterwards that only five or six players from the squad would continue next season. The comment shows the scale of the review facing the Ferroviario: finding a coach, redefining contracts and constructing a competitive base without repeating the instability of this semester.
For Lanús, attention shifts completely to River. The round of 16 is a single match hosted by the higher-ranked team and is expected on the weekend of 21 or 22 November after the FIFA window, with the official date and time still pending. The Santiago draw fixed the bracket but provides no advantage in the tie. Pellegrino needs a plan able to withstand the Monumental rhythm and attack opponents also under pressure.
Salvio rescued a point that organised the bracket, not a completely satisfying performance. Lanús reacted, held fifth place and stayed alive, although the finale revealed questions of efficiency and depth. The next match removes every calculation: victory means progress, defeat ends the Clausura. The draw against Central Córdoba served as a bridge, and the Granate must now convert experience and circulation into a decisive response against River.
