Buenos Aires, Feb 3 (.) Tigre maintained their strong early momentum in Argentina’s Apertura tournament with a convincing 3–1 victory over Racing at home, moving to the top of Group B after three rounds.
The hosts took the lead just before halftime through David Romero. Carrying the ball from near the halfway line, Romero weaved past defenders, rounded goalkeeper Facundo Cambeses, and calmly slotted into an empty net to give Tigre a deserved advantage.
Racing pushed forward in search of an equaliser and finally found one in the 80th minute, when Gabriel Rojas unleashed a first-time strike from around 20 yards. Although Tigre goalkeeper Felipe Zenobio got a hand to the shot, the effort proved too powerful and crossed the line.
However, Tigre responded almost immediately. Against the run of play, Ignacio Russo restored the home side’s lead in the 85th minute, finishing off a swift counterattack with a well-placed long-range effort.
Any hopes of a Racing comeback were extinguished in stoppage time as Gonzalo Martinez, making his debut following a January move from River Plate, sealed the win. The midfielder lifted a composed finish over Cambeses from a narrow angle, marking a memorable first appearance in Tigre colours.
With the win, Tigre sit top of Group B with seven points from three matches, underlining their impressive start to the season. Racing, meanwhile, remains rooted to the bottom of the table, still searching for their first points of the campaign.
Elsewhere in Monday’s Apertura action, Gimnasia La Plata recorded a 3–1 home win over Aldosivi, Defensa y Justicia were held to a goalless draw by Estudiantes, Argentinos Juniors and Belgrano also played out a 0–0 draw, while union Santa Fe dominated Gimnasia Mendoza in a comprehensive 4–0 home victory.
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