La Serena beat Ñublense to maintain their rise and dream of continental football

La Serena turned a difficult home match into another step away from danger and toward the continental places. At La Portada, the hosts came from behind to beat Ñublense 2-1 in the 22nd round of the Primera League.

Ñublense struck first in the 41st minute, when Ignacio Tapia scored a spectacular goal. The lead did not last long. Felipe Chamorro equalized in the 45th minute, keeping La Serena within reach before the break.

The decisive move came from the bench. Matías Pinto entered the match and quickly delivered the winning goal in the 88th minute. La Serena then had to endure a tense finish, with Lucas Alarcón sent off in the fifth minute of stoppage time after referee Héctor Jona reviewed the incident on VAR.

Felipe Gutiérrez’s side has now gone four matches without defeat. The victory lifted La Serena temporarily to ninth place with 30 points, while Cobresal opened the relegation zone on 21. Ñublense remained only two points ahead in sixth, leaving La Serena dreaming of a place in the Copa Sudamericana.