The Acerero pressed ahead by six lengths as a troubled Strip celebrated his ninth match with Beto Acosta but could not seal a victory in seven outings.
Everything looked calm before Huachipato, the outright leader of the First Division even with one game in hand. Yet the ANFP updated the standings after Coquimbo’s penalty, Cobresal moved forward, and a Catholic University that waited in the wings complicated matters for him in Rancagua. The steel team improvised around a brilliant Gabriel Castellón, relying on two seasoned starters who had drifted into the cracks of the lineup, Nicolás Baeza and Joaquín Altamirano. The goalkeeper’s words resonated: they would give their all, keep refining their game, and chase the most points to keep fighting until the end. In stoppage time, Castellón’s performance denied a critical penalty from Fernando Zampedri, preserving a 2-2 deadlock. The Giant of the South then claimed a 2-1 victory, closing the gap on the Miner and leaving a single point separating them.
By the thirteenth official day, UC had 19 points and had not tasted a win in seven official matches. Gustavo Álvarez’s squad rose to 25 points after Maximiliano Rodríguez converted a well-timed move engineered by Altamirano and Baeza. Zampedri’s late shot at 92 minutes found Acosta, whose header was matched by Di Santo’s aerial brilliance and a rebound from Castellón, only to be interrupted by a frantic late defense effort. Altamirano then executed a clever setup after Gonzalo Montes drew the attention of the markers with a long ball toward the winger, allowing Wanderers to withstand the local assault and snatch the points for the eighth region.
In the ninety-eighth minute, Huachipato clinched the win in Rancagua and reinforced their resilience. Earlier, at 91 minutes, Castellón produced a remarkable save on Zampedri’s penalty kick to preserve a slim Acerero lead. At 75 minutes, Castellón himself featured prominently, hitting a precise shot to thwart Franco Di Santo, who had again found air advantage with a header from a distance. At 69 minutes, Gonzalo González charged forward with a volley that clipped the crossbar after Di Santo’s spin left the defense unsettled.
With the clock resting at 60 minutes, Joaquín Altamirano surged into the box after a fine pass from Nicolás Baeza, delivering a ghostly header that restored Huachipato’s lead between Dani González and Parot. At 56 minutes, Fernando Zampedri leveled the score for Los Cruzados, replying to Beto Acosta’s 92nd-minute tally by linking Castellón’s rebound to Di Santo’s initial strike off Byron Nieto’s center. The match took shape just before halftime as Altamirano reacted swiftly, shooting left as Baeza’s outside pass sent Maximiliano Rodríguez into a scoring position for the opening goal of the game. The Acerero briefly returned to the top spot with a deft three-finger touch, setting up a tense finish.
The pre-competitive work in El Teniente was the backdrop for a game that tested both teams’ grit and organization. The setups, okay, the energy, and the adjustments—this was the kind of match that defines a spine of a season. The exchange of goals and near-misses underscored the competitive stakes and the evolving form of the squads involved. The recording of events reflects the drama and the momentum shifts that characterized the fixture, leaving fans and analysts weighing the next moves for each side.
The game narrative demonstrated a balance of strategic discipline and momentary brilliance, with late-game drama and crucial saves shaping the outcome. The Acerero’s resilience and Huachipato’s continued pressure showed that every point matters in a tight table where margins are razor-thin. As the season progressed, both teams would need to build on these moments to convert chances into victories and to maintain pace with the leaders. The competition remained fierce, and the battle for positions in the league table continued to unfold with each passing round.
Source: Goal