The team steered by Ariel Holan could not break the deadlock with Cobresal, letting a golden chance slip away to jump over Huachipato in the standings of the National Championship 2023 after the fourth matchday.
Universidad Católica, aiming to ascend to the summit, passed up a real opportunity to climb the table following a late clash with Cobresal on a snowy afternoon in El Teniente. Gustavo Huerta’s squad struck first when Gastón Lezcano delivered a precise cross that found the back of the net with a touch of misfortune for Matías Dituro. Franco Di Santo responded in the 13th minute, pouncing on a loose ball in the box to level the score and beat Leandro Requena.
Before reaching the half-hour mark, the hosts took the lead through Fernando Zampedri, finishing a well-worked move that began in the middle and culminated with a cross from Gonzalo Tapia on the right. Not long after, Alexander Aravena took control inside the area, shrugged off a challenge from the miners’ defense, and fired a left-footed shot that slipped past Requena. Just before the break, Nelson Sepúlveda widened the gap with a scissors kick after a great cross from Lezcano.
In a crushing moment for the home side, Cobresal’s response came on a header from Maximiliano Rueda, finishing off a cross by Munder that sailed into the goal and tied the match in Rancagua.
Thus, Holan’s formation—featuring the debuts of Guillermo Burdisso and Brayan Rovira—sat on seven points, occupying the third spot and two points behind the leaders Huachipato, who had one game in hand following Colo Colo’s suspension. Cobresal, meanwhile, sat in fourth with the same points but a different goal difference.
On Saturday, February 18, the students were set to visit Audax Italiano at the La Florida Bicentennial Stadium, hoping to put an end to a two-match winless run, while the Immortals prepared to host Ñublense at El Cobre.
In the following sections, the lineup details, substitutions, and key moments of the match are presented.
The UC still held a path to the top after equalizing late against Cobresal on the fourth matchday.
65′ GOAL FOR COBRESAL! A perfect cross by Lezcano found Maximiliano Rueda, who headed home to restore parity in Rancagua.
37′ GOAL FOR COBRESAL! Nelson Sepúlveda cuts the deficit with a scissors finish inside the area after a superb cross from Gastón Lezcano.
28′ INCREDIBLE GOAL BY UC! Alexander Aravena controlled the zone, outpaced Cobresal’s defenders, and fired a precise left-footed shot that beat Leandro Requena.
25′ CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY GOAL! Fernando Zampedri converts a well-coordinated move between Mauricio Isla and Gonzalo Tapia, giving the Crusaders the lead. This marks Zampedri’s second goal in four matches this year, bringing his tally to 84 goals in 134 appearances for the club.
12′ GOOAL FOR CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY! Brayan Rovira seized a loose ball in the box and equalized for UC after a sequence involving Eugenio Mena and the newcomer. It’s his second goal of the tournament in three appearances.
6′ CLOSE CALL FOR UC! Zampedri’s powerful strike tested Requena, who reacted quickly to deny the opener.
1′ GOOOAAL FOR COBRESAL! Gastón Lezcano delivered a perfect cross-shot that opened the scoring in Rancagua for the mining team.
The ball was rolling in El Teniente as referee Francisco Gilabert prepared to bring the duel to life on the fourth matchday.
The two sides were positioned on the field, ready for kickoff.
Confirmed lineups showed Universidad Católica lining up with Matías Dituro; Mauricio Isla, Gary Kagelmacher, Guillermo Burdisso and Eugenio Mena; Brayan Rovira, Ignacio Saavedra; Gonzalo Tapia, Franco Di Santo, Fernando Zampedri and Alexander Aravena. Cobresal fielded Leandro, Guillermo Pacheco, Diego Céspedes, Francisco Alarcón, Marcelo Jorquera; Alejandro Camargo, Nelson Sepúlveda, Franco García; Gastón Lezcano, Cesar Munder and Cecilio Waterman.
Both clubs have met 62 times, with Universidad Católica claiming 34 wins in the Andean era, Cobresal recording 13 wins, and 15 draws. In recent history, Cobresal had only two victories over UC in the last 21 meetings: a 2-4 win on February 28, 2015, and a 3-1 win on March 6, 2022. Holan’s side had a 1-0 win thanks to an own goal by Diego Céspedes.
Here is how the teams lined up for El Teniente:
Good evening. This update covers the fourth-matchday clash between Universidad Católica and Cobresal.
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