San Miguel lost their place in Primera Nacional at Bajo Núñez. A 0-0 draw against Defensores de Belgrano was not enough to extend the fight and confirmed relegation to Primera B with one round left in Zone A. The result produced a simultaneous effect on the standings: Defensores secured safety, while Central Norte, San Telmo and All Boys were also placed beyond San Miguel's reach.
The Trueno Verde arrived at the Juan Pasquale stadium needing a victory. Their only route required three points, another win in the final round against Deportivo Madryn and a combination of results capable of forcing a survival play-off. The draw closed that mathematical path. With 33 points from 35 matches, San Miguel remained last, below Acassuso, whose relegation had already been confirmed.
The match reflected several problems that had shaped their campaign. There was pace and intention but little clean combination play and few clear chances. Tomás Díaz tried to direct the visitors' attacks and shot from distance. Before half-time, one of his passes found Tomás Jerez for a volley that travelled narrowly wide of Alejandro Medina's left post.
San Miguel also appealed for handball inside the area after an Iván Ramírez effort struck two defenders. Play continued and Jorge Ferrero eventually lifted an awkward finish over the target. It was one of the moments when the visitors turned urgency into genuine danger, but they could not sustain that depth throughout a tight match containing too many inaccurate decisions.
In the closing minutes, Defensores were effectively reduced to ten after an injury occurred once all substitution windows had been used. San Miguel pushed forward and relied on direct deliveries, but the home side protected their area and preserved the clean sheet. There were no sendings-off and no goals; every failed attack brought relegation closer to becoming official.
The drop completes an eleven-match winless sequence containing only four draws and four points from the last 33 available. The team had started the year with very different expectations and a squad assembled to compete higher in the table. A lack of results during the decisive stretch, however, pushed San Miguel to the bottom and made a situation already requiring an extreme combination irreversible.
San Miguel will host Deportivo Madryn in Los Polvorines to say farewell to Primera Nacional. The match cannot change their fate, but it will be the first sporting moment of a process that must review leadership, squad construction and the 2027 project. Defensores reach the final round free from relegation risk, although their season still demands analysis after requiring survival until the penultimate match.
