Libertad and Guaraní put on an entertaining 2-2 draw at Estadio Tigo La Huerta, in a match corresponding to Paraguay's First Division that had everything: early goals, an own goal in the second half and a penalty that sealed the tie late in the game.
How the match unfolded
Gumarelo started better and found quick reward on the scoreboard, while Aborigen responded almost immediately to not fall behind at the start. The first half ended 1-1 with an even flow, in which neither of the two teams managed to gain a clear edge despite their offensive attempts.
In the second half, Libertad controlled the ball a bit more but it was Guaraní who struck first, taking advantage of a ball that ended in the local side's own net. The match then became more contentious, with several yellow cards and changes from both managers, until a penalty late in the game allowed the home side to extend the match and secure a point that, based on how it played out, could have gone either way.
Goals and key moments
The 16' minute marked the opening of the scoreboard with Gustavo Aguilar's goal for Libertad, putting the home side ahead in an intense start.
Guaraní did not take long to react and at 21' Maximiliano Nahuel Añasco Dornells made it 1-1, leveling out a back-and-forth first half.
Already in the second half, at 56', a deflection by Federico Carrizo ended up in the back of his own net, an own goal that gave Guaraní the advantage and changed the course of the match.
The final stretch had plenty of referee tension, with yellow cards for Jorge Recalde and Cristian Leandro Allende at 75', but the most relevant moment came at 77', when Elvio de Jesús Vera Brítez converted a penalty that meant the 2-2 final result for Libertad.
The numbers
Libertad was the team that dominated the ball, with 54% possession compared to Guaraní's 46%, and also led in the number of chances: 17 shots against 13 for Aborigen, with 7 shots on goal compared to 5 for the visitor.
The expected goals data also favored the home side, which accumulated 2.47 xG compared to 1.54 for Guaraní, a difference that reflects Libertad's greater offensive volume even though it did not translate into a victory.
In the card tally, Guaraní was sanctioned more with four yellows against only one for Libertad, in a match with 12 fouls for the home side and 11 for the visitor, plus an even split in corners (4 for Libertad, 5 for Guaraní) and offsides (2 for each).
How the standings look
With this draw, Libertad remains in second place with 27 points in 14 matches, just behind Club Olimpia, which also has 27 but with a better goal difference (+12 compared to +7 for Gumarelo).
Guaraní, for its part, stays in sixth place with 22 units in 14 games, the result of five wins, seven draws and two losses, a record that keeps them in the upper-middle zone but far from the top positions.
The result also confirms a recent trend: Libertad has been alternating wins and losses, while Guaraní has accumulated several consecutive draws in their recent appearances, something that was reflected once again at La Huerta.
Our take
In our view, the draw is a fair result if you analyze the match in its entirety: Libertad was more incisive in attack and generated more volume of play, as reflected in both shots and xG, but Guaraní knew how to take advantage of specific situations, including the gift of the own goal, to stay competitive.
We believe that the penalty converted late in the game does justice to Libertad's offensive effort, although it also leaves the feeling that, with greater effectiveness in the first half, the home side could have taken all three points against a Guaraní that, despite the difficulties, showed character to not leave empty-handed from the Tigo La Huerta.
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