Argentinos Juniors were held to a 1-1 draw away at Platense in the twelfth round of the Liga Profesional. El Bicho took an early lead through David Porcel, but a second-half penalty converted by Facundo Zapiola denied them all three points at the Estadio Ciudad de Vicente López.
The visitors started brightly. After just 11 minutes, David Porcel finished off a team move to beat Juan Cozzani and make it 0-1. Nicolás Diez's side controlled large spells of the first half, though possession was evenly split. Platense, managed by Martín Palermo, came out stronger after the break and increased the pressure. The equaliser arrived in the 70th minute when the referee awarded a penalty to the hosts for a foul in the box. Substitute Facundo Zapiola made no mistake from the spot.
The numbers reflect a tight contest, albeit with clearer chances for the home side. Platense finished with 51% possession and had 15 shots, with 4 on target. Argentinos Juniors managed only 5 attempts, hitting the target twice. Goalkeeper Brian Cortes made three important saves to preserve the draw, while his counterpart was only called into action once. The visiting team also committed fewer fouls (9 to 13) and received two yellow cards, compared to Platense's three.
The point leaves Argentinos Juniors in a mid-table position, having taken 16 points from a possible 36 so far. The team needs to find more consistency in their away performances to climb the standings in the coming weeks. Manager Nicolás Diez made five substitutions in the second half in search of a spark, but could not regain the lead.
