He added his third consecutive defeat, he was virtually eliminated from the regular phase of the Closing and it seemed like the end of coach Eduardo Dominguez’s cycle. However, there remained a remote possibility: that the results would be given in four other matches played by different teams. Everything that sounded impossible became reality, Students He qualified as eighth in his area, got into the playoffs and began to chart a crazy path, a champion path…
The pincharrata team, in the round of 16, went down as a visitor to Rosario Central, which had accumulated the most points in 2025. Afterwards, it traveled to Santiago del Estero and beat Central Córdoba. In the semifinals, as if to add more value to the tour, they won the classic against Gimnasia, in a foreign land, in the Forest. And the final came against a racing with the spirit of heaven, which came from eliminating River and Boca. But Estudiantes didn’t care. Once again he overcame everything and celebrated in an unforgettable night that was like his way. A crazy night. A champion night.
TECHNICAL SHEET
1 (4) – Racing Club: Facundo Cambeses; Facundo Mura (d.87, Gastón Martirena), Nazareno Colombo, Agustín García Basso, Gabriel Rojas; Juan Ignacio Nardoni (m.100, Bruno Zuculini), Santiago Sosa, Agustín Almendra (m.75, Adrián Fernández); Santiago Solari (m.75, Tomás Conechny) (m.118, Luciano Vietto), Adrián Martínez, Duván Vergara (m.87, Franco Pardo).
1 (5) – Students: Fernando Muslera; Román Gómez (m.83, Eric Meza), Leandro González Pirez, Santiago Núñez (m.95, Facundo Rodríguez), Santiago Arzamendia (m.89, Gastón Benedetti); Santiago Ascacíbar, Ezequiel Piovi (d.83, Lucas Alario); Tiago Palacios (m.74, Joaquín Tobio Burgos), Cristian Medina (m.89, José Sosa), Edwuin Cetré; Guido Carrillo.
Goals: 1-0, Adrián Martínez (m. 81); 1-1, Guido Carrillo (m. 90+2)
Penalties: Adrián Martínez, Luciano Vietto, Agustín García Basso, Santiago Sosa converted for Racing, while Fernando Muslera stopped Gastón Martirena’s shot and Franco Pardo crashed his shot into the post. Parra Estudiantes converted José Sosa, Lucas Alario, Joaquín Tobio Burgos, Eric Meza and Facundo Rodríguez, while Facundo Cambeses saved Edwin Cetré’s shot.
Referee: Nicolás Ramírez, who cautioned Adrián Martínez, Nazareno Colombo, Franco Pardo, Ramón Gómez, Guido Carrillo, Tiago Palacios and Benedetti.
Incidents: Final match of the Clausura Tournament played at the Único Madre de Ciudades stadium, in Santiago del Estero, before 38 thousand spectators.
Racing was already embracing the title. They won 1-0 with a great goal from Adrián Wonder Martinez from the 80th minute. Extra time was played. The 92nd minute passed. The end arrived. Of course, with Estudiantes nothing is ever said. And the mystical prankster, suddenly, landed in the Mother of Cities of Santiago del Estero through two historic houses. The 40-year-old reference, José Sosa, took a free kick with the precision that always distinguished him. AND Guido Carrillothe top scorer of 34, headed as he always did to make it 1-1.
Gabriel Rojas (Racing) disputes the ball with Román Gómez (Students)
Then came extra time and penalties. There again the title was served to Racing, because Facundo Cambeses built a great flight against Edwin Cetré and because the academic pitchers scored one by one. The only thing missing was the final shot. The responsibility for the fifth shot fell to Gabriel Martirena, who does not usually fail. However, 39-year-old goalkeeper Fernando Muslera emerged to deflect the shot. Later, the goalkeeper also touched the ball after Franco Pardo’s shot hit a post. And so the Uruguayan ended up as a hero.
Fernando Muslera saves a penalty against Racing Club
Estudiantes had deserved something more in the game and ended up celebrating. The players took the cup to the audience to president Juan Sebastián Verón, who leads a ‘political war’ against the AFA and its owner, Claudio Tapia.
La Bruja is suspended as leader for six months down that hallway with his back against Rosario Central and that is why he could not be part of the awards ceremony for the champions. Once the formalities were concluded, Verón entered the field and celebrated with the coaching staff and the players and only agreed to give interviews under the condition of not talking about the political dispute with Tapia.
Qualified for Libertadores 2026
Thus, with the conquest of this Clausura Tournament, Estudiantes adds star number 18 in its history. It is the seventh league title. It is Domínguez’s sixth title in his career as a coach, the fourth in the pincharrata team. This championship for Estudiantes also represents qualification for Libertadores 2026. Also the opportunity to win another star in a week, when it is their turn to star in the final of the Champions Trophy, which pits the winners of the Apertura and Clausura against each other. Estudiantes will be there face to face with Platense, seeking more glory.
