San Martín de San Juan defeats Gimnasia de Jujuy 5-1 in Primera Nacional

San Martín de San Juan delivered a commanding 5-1 victory against Gimnasia de Jujuy on Saturday, October 31, at the Hilario Sánchez Stadium during the final round of the Primera Nacional regular season. The decisive win brought the team to 51 points with a plus-six goal differential, keeping alive their mathematical chances of securing a spot in the upcoming promotional playoff tournament.

The home side opened the scoring early when Mauro Osores anticipated a corner kick just eight minutes into the match to break the tie. Shortly after, Facundo Nadalín extended the lead with a header from another corner kick. Gimnasia de Jujuy, which entered the match already classified for the postseason despite missing out on the direct promotion spot, managed to pull one back following a scramble from a corner, with Abel Argañaraz finding the back of the net. Before halftime, Guillermo Acosta scored from long range to make it 3-1 for San Martín.

The second half continued the onslaught for the home team. Ramiro Rúmbolo scored just 45 seconds after the restart, and Nazareno Fúnez added a fifth goal later in the half to seal the 5-1 scoreline. Head coach Alejandro Schiapparelli praised his players' mental resilience and execution following the victory, noting that the squad fulfilled its primary obligation for the weekend.

"It was a final for us," Schiapparelli stated during the post-match press conference. He added that the game plan required them to win by as large a margin as possible. "Our job today was to win the match and score as many goals as we could. I believe we could have even scored a few more," the manager remarked, expressing satisfaction with the team's mental response in such a high-stakes environment.

Despite the emphatic win, Schiapparelli offered candid self-criticism regarding points dropped earlier in the campaign. He pointed to matches such as a late-draw against Atlético de Rafaela as missed opportunities that prevented the team from securing qualification earlier. "We should have many more points than we have today, and we should already be qualified," he said, while acknowledging that the squad's tendency to draw too many matches ultimately hindered their standing.

With the regular season concluding, San Martín de San Juan's immediate future in the competition rests on an external result. The team now awaits the outcome of the fixture between Colegiales and San Martín de Tucumán. If Colegiales wins or draws, they will edge out San Martín de San Juan in the standings; a loss for Colegiales would allow the San Juan squad to claim the final playoff berth based on goal difference.

Across the broader Primera Nacional, the final matchday also determined direct promotion spots. Godoy Cruz claimed the top spot in Zone A after a dramatic 2-1 victory over Almirante Brown, finishing level on 66 points with Ferro but winning the group on goal difference. Meanwhile, Tristán Suárez secured the Zone B leadership and a direct promotion ticket after playing to a scoreless draw against Deportivo Maipú.