Lanzini, Pizzini Power Velez Sarsfield Past Sarmiento to Stay in the Liga Profesional Race
On a brisk Sunday in Junín, Vélez Sarsfield reminded the rest of the Liga Profesional Argentina that ambition, coupled with timing, can turn a tense contest into a statement victory. Effort and frustration held even for an hour at Estadio Eva Perón, but with two goals in six second-half minutes—first from a rejuvenated Manuel Lanzini, then Francisco Pizzini—the visitors seized a 2-0 win over Sarmiento Junín that not only steadied Vélez’s campaign after recent stumbles but also nudged them back towards the league’s summit.
The opening hour told a different story. Sarmiento, buoyed by local support and emboldened by their shock win over River Plate a week prior, pressed with early intent but lacked the final thrust. The hosts, perched eighth in the table before kickoff and comfortably mid-table after a steady if unspectacular stretch, forced the tempo through Iván Morales—whose winner at the Monumental had briefly sparked dreams of a climb up the standings. Yet for all of Sarmiento’s grit, their most dangerous moments fizzled at the edge of Vélez’s penalty area.
For Vélez Sarsfield, on the other hand, recent form demanded a response. A home defeat to Rosario Central seven days before had cut into their momentum, and a ragged 2-2 draw at Deportivo Riestra before that had raised further questions about their staying power in this year’s title chase. Sitting third at kickoff, behind giants Boca and Talleres, Vélez needed both points and proof—something this fixture, on a pitch notorious for its narrow dimensions and raucous home crowd, rarely grants visiting sides.
But class will often tell when nerves run high. After an hour of sparring, Lanzini—the creative heart whose return from Europe has reenergized Vélez this autumn—found daylight at last. Picking up a sharp pass just outside the area, he shaped to shoot, slipped past Martín García, and hammered a right-footed drive past Sarmiento’s sprawling keeper at the near post. It was Lanzini’s third goal in two matches and, in a flash, the balance of the match tipped decisively Vélez’s way.
Sarmiento, stung, barely had time to recover before they found themselves further behind. In the 67th minute, Vélez carved open the green-and-white rearguard again: Braian Romero surged down the right and whipped in a low cross. The ball ricocheted off a desperate defender and landed at the feet of Francisco Pizzini, who had ghosted in unmarked. With a neat side-foot finish, Pizzini doubled the visitors’ lead—his first of the campaign and a timely reminder of the depth in Gustavo Quinteros’ attack.
The twin blows deflated a Sarmiento side already running on emotional reserves after a taxing schedule. Without a consistent scoring threat in the past month—the club has now failed to find the net in three of its last four—any hopes of a comeback quickly faded. Morale dipped further with each passing minute, despite the best efforts of Morales and Carlos Villalba, both of whom forced routine saves but never truly threatened Tomás Marchiori between the Vélez posts.
There was, at least, no disciplinary chaos to further muddy the contest—neither side saw red, though three Sarmiento midfielders entered the referee’s book for frustrated fouls as the clock ticked down. By the final whistle, Vélez had not merely secured three points; they had imposed themselves, physically and psychologically, on a would-be climber.
For the hosts, the defeat leaves Sarmiento rooted in eighth, a respectable but precarious platform with 15 points from 11 matches. Their autumn run-in is proving uneven: wins at River Plate and Barracas Central have been bookended by narrow home defeats to Gimnasia and now this more decisive setback. The lack of a reliable goalscorer looms large as they prepare for trips to high-flying Estudiantes and a daunting home clash with Racing.
Vélez, meanwhile, climb to 25 points and reassert themselves in third, closing the gap on leaders Boca and sending a clear message to the pack below. Their attack, marshaled by Lanzini’s vision and Romero’s industry, is regaining its cutting edge, and today’s result offers a platform to build on after early October’s wobble. The fixture list holds no guarantees—tricky tests with Independiente and a Libertadores rematch with Racing await—but the manner of this victory, hard-fought and ultimately composed, may prove more valuable than the points themselves.
In the chess match for Argentine supremacy, statements are made not just in scorelines but in the resolve shown when the season’s momentum is in play. Today, Vélez found both—leaving Junín as much bolder contenders than when they arrived.