Huachipato defeated O'Higgins 2-0 this Saturday, October 10, in Talcahuano, in round 24 of the 2026 Liga de Primera. Maximiliano Rodríguez and Claudio Sepúlveda scored for the home side.
According to BioBioChile, the win lifted the Steelers to sixth place with 34 points, putting them in a qualifying spot for the Copa Sudamericana, the second-tier club competition run by Conmebol (South American Football Confederation).
O'Higgins remained in thirteenth place with 27 points. The Rancagua side stayed just two ahead of Cobresal and four ahead of Universidad de Concepción, the two teams occupying the bottom places. Those teams drew 1-1 in El Salvador during the same round.
The home side started better, but the match lost momentum because of both teams' defensive organization. Leandro Díaz threatened for the visitors after 10 minutes with a long-range left-footed shot that went narrowly wide. At 41', Felipe Faúndez had the clearest chance with a volley saved by goalkeeper Sebastián Mella.
In first-half stoppage time, Rodríguez latched onto a long ball, got ahead of his marker and opened the scoring with a low shot. TNT Sports Chile wrote on X that the forward took advantage of the Sky Blues' "half-hearted marking".
Controversy came at 49'. Thiago Vecino equalized after a mistake by Mella, but referee Cristian Galaz disallowed the goal for an alleged foul. Replays left doubts, and VAR (video refereeing) did not intervene.
At 65', Sepúlveda capitalized on hesitation in the Rancagua side's defense and finished from almost inside the six-yard box to make it 2-0. At 89', Ignacio Schor had a chance to pull a goal back, but Mella reacted at point-blank range to preserve his clean sheet.
Cooperativa highlighted that Huachipato extended their unbeaten run against O'Higgins to 10 consecutive matches and secured their third straight league victory.
In round 25, Huachipato will visit Audax Italiano on Friday, October 23. A day later, on Saturday the 24th, O'Higgins will host Cobresal in a direct clash in the fight to avoid relegation.
