Juventud Antoniana vs Gimnasia Chivilcoy Match Recap - Oct 18, 2025

Stalemate in Salta: Juventud Antoniana and Gimnasia Chivilcoy Battle to Goalless Draw as Federal A Playoff Race Tightens

On a spring afternoon in Salta, with the rugged ridges of the Estadio Padre Ernesto Martearena standing silent witness, Juventud Antoniana and Gimnasia Chivilcoy played to a taut, nervy 0-0 stalemate—a result that reverberated as much for what it preserved as what it denied. The Torneo Federal A’s playoff puzzle grew only more complicated, with both sides clinging to critical points but unable to seize full control of their fates.

Juventud Antoniana, emboldened by last week’s emphatic 3-0 home routing of Boca Unidos, entered the match with hope of carving out another statement result. Their recent form—two wins and two stalemates in five—has been marked by defensive resolve, but also a nagging inability to unlock tightly packed defenses on home soil. That theme would repeat itself here, in a contest that unfolded as a tactical arm wrestle rather than a showcase of attacking flair.

For the visitors, Gimnasia Chivilcoy, the trip to Salta was laced with opportunity. Having notched a vital 2-1 win over El Linqueño a week prior and perched just inside the promotion playoff positions, they eyed a rare away scalp to solidify their own ambitions. Their last meeting against Juventud—a narrow 1-0 victory at home in early August—offered a blueprint: frustrate, counter, and capitalize on narrow margins.

Early exchanges revealed two teams reluctant to yield ground. Juventud Antoniana’s Alejandro Domínguez, fresh off a commanding midfield display the previous round, again sputtered to find rhythm amid Gimnasia’s compact lines. The match’s opening half-hour was notable only for its scarcity of clear-cut chances; a snapshot from outside the box by Juventud’s winger Franco López, parried well by Gimnasia’s veteran keeper Luciano Medina, nearly broke the deadlock on 18 minutes. Soon after, Gimnasia’s answer came via a stinging long-range drive from Pablo Álvarez, forcing Antoniana’s Juan Mendieta into a sprawling save.

As tensions simmered, the contest threatened to boil over. Referee Marcelo Herrera’s yellow was brandished on three occasions before halftime—two for testy midfield tugs and another for time-wasting by Medina as both teams jockeyed for the psychological edge. Yet the first half ended, fittingly, as it began: even on the scoresheet, deadlocked in intent.

The second stanza saw Juventud gradually assert more control. Roared on by a restless home crowd, they carved out the game’s clearest opening just after the hour-mark when a sweeping move sent striker Matías Carabajal through on goal. But Carabajal, sliding in under pressure from Gimnasia’s last man Emiliano García, saw his close-range effort smothered by Medina—a save that would loom large in what little narrative the match could offer.

Gimnasia, for their part, were content to absorb, disrupt, and hunt for transitions. Their own golden opportunity came in the 75th minute, when the lively Mauro Sosa exploited a rare lapse in Juventud’s back line; however, his low drive skittered agonizingly wide of the far post, drawing collective groans from the traveling support. In the closing stages, both managers turned to their benches, but neither injection of fresh legs could bend the pattern of caution and missed connections.

As the final whistle echoed, the sense of frustration was unmistakable—on the pitch, in the stands, and, one suspects, in rival dressing rooms across the division. For Juventud Antoniana, the clean sheet extended a run of defensive shutouts at home, but their ambitions of closing the gap to the summit took a hit, leaving them to rue a third scoreless draw in five outings. Gimnasia Chivilcoy, meanwhile, will see the point as a hard-earned dividend, reinforcing a pattern of resilience on the road that could yet prove decisive in the season’s stretch run.

Current standings—though in flux pending Sunday’s fixtures—suggested Gimnasia Chivilcoy would remain slightly ahead, the draw nudging them onto 15 points and likely into third, just ahead of Juventud Antoniana on goal difference. Both teams, though, stay chained together in a crowded playoff race, neither able to break free, each increasingly aware that every missed chance comes at a rising premium.

Their head-to-head history, already marked by razor-thin margins, gained another chapter of deadlock. In August, Gimnasia edged Juventud 1-0 to seize early psychological advantage. Today, neither side could find the moment of inspiration required to tip the scales.

Looking forward, the stakes only escalate. Juventud Antoniana now brace for a crucial trip to a mid-table rival, knowing a victory is needed not merely for momentum, but to keep playoff hopes in their own hands. Gimnasia Chivilcoy, with their steady accumulation of points, are tasked with shedding the draw specialist label if they are to avoid being leapfrogged in the season’s final third. The margin for error has shrunk. In a championship defined by small moments, both sides left Salta searching for the spark that will turn promise into progress—and a season’s work into something lasting.