Lanus beat Arsenal to join tight title-chasing bunch

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Lanus emerged as true title contenders in Argentina with a 2-0 win over Arsenal on Monday, and while they also have a Copa Sudamericana semi-final to look forward to coach Guillermo Barros Schelotto is wary of a sensational season falling apart due to complacency.





Leaders Newell's Old Boys have 29 points with four matches to go in the Inicial championship, with San Lorenzo and Boca Juniors on 27 and Arsenal and Lanus two points further back.

"We'd be making a mistake if we thought now about winning both competitions, or even one, we'll go match by match," said Schelotto after his side's fifth consecutive victory in the two competitions.

"In the league we have to play Newell's and Boca in our last two matches. We'll be able to say we have a shot (at the title) when we're a match (three points) away," he told reporters.

Lanus scored both goals against Arsenal, who had right back Hugo Nervo sent off in the 64th minute, in the last seven minutes, breaking the deadlock in the 83rd through substitute Nicolas Pasquini two minutes after he came on.

Veteran striker Santiago Silva made sure of the win for Lanus with their second goal in the 86th minute.

Lanus reached the last four of the Copa Sudamericana, South America's equivalent of the Europa League, with a 3-1 win at River Plate in the second leg of an all-Argentine tie on Wednesday.

River went an eighth match without victory in all competitions with a 0-0 draw at Velez Sarsfield on Sunday, the day after former striker David Trezeguet scored his third goal in two games for Newell's in a 1-1 draw at home to San Lorenzo.

Trezeguet put Newell's ahead with a diving header from right back Marcos Caceres's cross in the 25th minute but midfielder Ignacio Piatti equalised for the Saints with a superb goal five minutes later.

An unconvincing Boca were lucky to scramble the win against Tigre, who had forward Matias Perez Garcia sent off early in the second half for diving, with former Atletico Madrid centre back "Cata" Diaz heading the winner in added time.

Racing Club, who had been enjoying a mini revival with two successive away wins after taking just two points from their first 12 matches, went down 1-0 to Argentinos Juniors at the Cilindro where their young team struggle under the pressure of their own fans' expectations.

(Reporting by Rex Gowar; Editing by Peter Rutherford)


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