Unión de Santa Fe suffered their first defeat of the 2026 Apertura campaign on Thursday afternoon, falling 2–1 to Lanús at the Estadio Ciudad de Lanús. In a match defined by heated exchanges and a contentious red card for the visitors, former Minnesota United winger Franco Fragapane was forced to watch the majority of the drama from the bench before a late introduction.
Match recap
Lanús controlled the tempo early and were rewarded in first-half stoppage time. In the 48th minute (45+3′), Ramiro Carrera broke the deadlock with a well-timed finish, sending the hosts into the break with a 1–0 advantage. The Granate doubled their lead shortly after the restart when Marcelino Moreno found the back of the net in the 56th minute.
Unión responded with grit, pulling one back through Cristian Tarragona in the 66th minute to set up a tense finale. However, the visitors’ momentum was halted by a controversial red card that left them with ten men for the closing stages. Despite a late push for an equalizer, Lanús held firm to secure all three points at “La Fortaleza.”
Fragapane’s performance
After starting in the season opener against Platense, Franco Fragapane was dropped to the bench by manager Leonardo Madelón for this tactical battle.
- Tactical shuffle: Madelón opted to start Bruno Pittón on the left flank to provide more defensive cover, sacrificing Fragapane’s attacking flair.
- Late arrival: The former Loon finally entered the fray in the 80th minute, replacing Julián Palacios as Unión threw numbers forward in search of a miracle equalizer.
- Limited impact: With Unión down a man and Lanús managing the clock, Fragapane struggled to find a rhythm in his short cameo. He saw little of the ball as the game became fragmented by stoppages and defensive clearances.
Stats (via Fotmob)
- Minutes played: 10′
- Goals: 0
- Assists: 0
- Touch Count: 4
- Match result: Lanús 2–1 Unión
Up next
Unión de Santa Fe will look to bounce back when they host Gimnasia (M) on Monday, Feb. 2. Meanwhile, Lanús travels to face Godoy Cruz as they look to maintain their perfect start to the season.
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