Vélez Sarsfield earned a hard-fought 1-0 away win against Instituto de Córdoba in the Argentine Division 1 on January 23, 2026. Playing at the Estadio Juan Domingo Perón, Vélez showed their experience to grind out a result, scoring the only goal of the game midway through the first half. Instituto started brightly, pressing high and creating a couple of half-chances, but it was Vélez who struck against the run of play with a precise finish from the edge of the box. The second half saw Instituto dominate possession as they searched for an equalizer, but they found the Vélez defense in resilient form, with the goalkeeper making a crucial save in the closing minutes. The three points were vital for Vélez's aspirations in the upper half of the table, while the defeat left Instituto looking over their shoulder near the bottom. The Instituto coach praised his team's effort but acknowledged their need for more quality in attack.