Rosario Central earned a valuable point after coming back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Talleres in Córdoba on Monday, with a brace from Ángel Di María leading the charge. The match, part of the Torneo Clausura 2026, was played against the backdrop of the well-known personal rift between the Canalla forward and local coach Jorge Sampaoli, as reported by La Nacion AR Deportes.
The home side took the lead with goals from Valentín Depietri and a penalty converted by Uruguayan striker Agustín Álvarez. The slight foul on Depietri that led to the spot-kick was awarded without major controversy. The game turned, however, when referee Sebastián Martínez Beligoy, after a VAR review, pointed to the spot for Rosario Central after a foul by Santiago Fernández on Ignacio Ovando in the box. Di María made no mistake from eleven meters.
How did Rosario Central stage their comeback?
The reaction from Carlos Tevez's team was immediate after pulling a goal back. With more possession and greater intensity, they pushed for the equaliser against a Talleres side that dropped deeper. The home goalkeeper, Ezequiel Unsain, was a key figure with several decisive saves, including a spectacular stop from a Di María effort. Unsain, who previously played for Newell's, showed his quality between the posts.
But Di María's experience ultimately told. The forward, who is the team's top scorer this season with 7 goals in 19 appearances, completed his brace to seal the 2-2 draw. This result keeps Rosario Central in a solid fourth place in the Liga Profesional Argentina, with 11 points from 3 wins, 2 draws, and just one loss in 6 games. Their goal difference stands at +2, with 7 scored and 5 conceded.
What happened between Di María and Sampaoli?
The most talked-about individual duel didn't happen on the pitch, but on the sidelines. Ángel Di María and Jorge Sampaoli maintain a personal rift dating back to the 2018 World Cup in Russia, when Sampaoli was the Argentina manager. During the match in Córdoba, there was no greeting or eye contact between the two. This was the second time they have faced each other since that World Cup, following a 0-0 draw between Sampaoli's Marseille and Di María's PSG in October 2021.
In a previous interview with TyC Sports, Di María was blunt about his experience. "After just one game he leaves me on the bench, he brushes me off as if it's nothing, without explanations," said the player from Casilda. He also described him as "a very strange person. He started very well with everyone and ended very badly with everyone." Sampaoli, for his part, has never directly replied to these accusations, alluding in the past to general disagreements and nervousness after the draw with Iceland.
What does this point mean for the campaign?
The draw extends Rosario Central's unbeaten run in the league to four matches, with two wins and two draws in that span. This form places them just two points behind the leaders, Argentinos Juniors, in what is shaping up to be a very tight season. Defensive consistency and Di María's finishing are their main assets in the title race.
The team must now quickly focus on their next fixture. This Thursday, August 29th, they will host Gimnasia La Plata, who sit in eighth place, at the Gigante de Arroyito. It's an opportunity to secure three points at home and continue applying pressure at the top of the standings. Fans can follow the squad's progress on our team page.
For Talleres, however, the outlook is more complicated. Sampaoli's team has only managed one win in six Group A outings and sits at the bottom of the zone. The coach was even booked in stoppage time for handling the ball on the touchline, which conceded a free-kick to Rosario Central. The match ended abruptly just as the visiting side was about to take that set-piece.
