Chile made their few chances count in a 2-1 international friendly win over DR Congo at Estadio Municipal Ciudad de La Linea in Cadiz. The game sat level at half-time, then swung on two precise left‑foot finishes before a late reply. Darío Osorio broke it open on 51 minutes, Matías Sepúlveda doubled the lead in the 86th, and Joris Kayembe pulled one back two minutes later. It was tidy, tense and decided by shot quality rather than volume.

Goals and key moments

The first half had more posture than punch, with DR Congo taking four shots to Chile’s none and winning the corner count 3-1. After the restart, Chile were far more direct and found their finish. On 51 minutes, Gonzalo Tapia slipped a neat assist to Darío Osorio, who arrowed a left‑footer from outside the box past Lionel Mpasi Nzau. Chile’s second came late and again from distance, as Matías Sepúlveda stepped inside and struck left‑footed from range in the 86th minute.

DR Congo refused to fold. Two minutes later, Brian Cipenga drove down the flank and picked out Kayembe, who controlled and finished with his left to make it 2-1 on 88 minutes. The Leopards pushed through six minutes of stoppage time but could not find a leveller. Cédric Bakambu saw yellow at 90 minutes for handball as the final Congolese attacks broke down. For Chile, there were bookings for Guillermo Maripán, Osorio and Lucas Cepeda across the match.

What the numbers say

DR Congo led the shooting metrics 10-6 overall and 4-3 on target, with a 5-1 edge for shots inside the box. Chile answered with efficiency and selection, scoring both goals from outside the box while DR Congo’s inside‑area looks found a busy back line. Possession finished 50-50, but Chile won more tackles 20-11 and more interceptions 11-8, and cleared their lines 22 times to DR Congo’s 17.

Set‑piece and territory numbers favoured the Leopards. They won corners 7-2 and made 18 touches in the opposing box to Chile’s 13. DR Congo also completed more accurate passes by a whisker at 364 to 363 from virtually identical totals. La Roja were sharper on crosses at 5 of 12 compared to DR Congo’s 3 of 15, and they held a 53 percent edge in second‑half ground duels. Offsides told a small story too, with Chile caught three times after the break as they kept stretching the last line.

Standout performers and Sofascore Ratings

Joris Kayembe was DR Congo’s standout. He scored, made a key pass and won seven duels, topping the hosts with a Sofascore Rating of 8.1 from 80 touches and strong progressive carries down the left. Chancel Mbemba and Axel Tuanzebe saw plenty of the ball at the back and combined for 8 clearances, with Tuanzebe adding two shots.

For Chile, Darío Osorio earned an 8.0 Sofascore Rating from 65 busy minutes that included the opening goal, two shots and four fouls won. Matías Sepúlveda came off the bench and packed a punch, posting a 7.7 Sofascore Rating with his late winner and positive ball carrying in just 12 minutes. In midfield, Víctor Felipe Méndez quietly steered things with 38 accurate passes, three tackles and a 7.3 Sofascore Rating. Lawrence Vigouroux added three saves, a good high claim and a 6.8 Sofascore Rating to help manage the closing stages.

Tactics and substitutions

DR Congo started 4-3-3 under Sébastien Desabre and leaned on width and quick switches to create crossing angles. At half-time they went for fresh legs and extra punch, introducing Meschak Elia and Cédric Bakambu, plus Edo Kayembe for midfield control. Later changes brought in Gaël Kakuta and Brian Cipenga, who provided the assist for the late goal, and Aaron Tshibola for energy in the middle.

Chile set up in a 4-2-3-1 and used the double pivot to funnel play and spring runners into space. Nicolás Andrés Córdova’s bench decisions mattered. He refreshed both full‑back zones at 55 minutes, then replaced the injured Osorio on 65 with Maximiliano Gutiérrez. A late flurry of changes, including Matías Sepúlveda, brought fresh legs and the second goal. Chile’s structure without the ball, plus a 42 percent cross accuracy, helped them ride out DR Congo’s final pressure.

The final word

This friendly offered a neat reminder that chance quality often wins the day. DR Congo created more and got into the box more often, but Chile found two clean strikes from range and stood firm. If you like seeing how it all looked on the pitch, Sofascore has the full breakdown with player heatmaps, live momentum and every Sofascore Rating from Cadiz. Not a bad night’s work for La Roja in pre‑tournament rhythm.