Avellaneda on edge: Independiente and Racing clash in another clásico | OneFootball

Independiente and Racing will face off from 5:30 PM at the Libertadores de América-Ricardo Enrique Bochini Stadium on Matchday 13 of the 2026 Apertura Tournament. Both teams are coming off qualification for the Copa Argentina round of 32 and now meet in an Avellaneda derby that will be decisive for both. Check out the lineups, where to watch it live, and more.

How Independiente and Racing are coming into the Apertura Tournament clash

El Rojo is coming off a 4-2 win over Atenas de Río Cuarto in the first round of the Copa Argentina in Florencio Varela and will now have to face Unión de Santa Fe, who did the same against Agropecuario last Monday. Beyond the win, Independiente fans took aim at their players by chanting: “If you don’t beat Racing, all hell is going to break loose”.

This is because the Rey de Copas has had an inconsistent run in the league, with three wins, five draws, and three losses. Those results leave Independiente eighth in Zone A with 14 points, and they are on a three-match winless streak, so the expectation is that the team will step up in the derby and stop losing ground in the race to qualify for the Apertura round of 16. In fact, El Rojo is currently in the playoff spots thanks to a better goal difference than San Lorenzo and Platense, who have the same number of points.

For its part, Racing narrowly beat San Martín de Formosa thanks to a goal from Adrián Martínez and advanced to the Copa Argentina round of 32, and in the next round it will play the winner of Defensa y Justicia and Chaco For Ever, who will face each other this Wednesday afternoon.

In the domestic tournament, La Academia has managed to right the ship after a terrible start and sits fourth in Zone B with 18 points, while also going eight matches unbeaten, with its last defeat coming against Tigre in early February. If they win, Gustavo Costas’ side will move into second place behind Independiente Rivadavia, who have 23 points.

On top of that, Racing will make its Copa Sudamericana debut next week away to Independiente Petrolero on Tuesday, April 7, in Sucre, Bolivia. The bad news for La Academia ahead of the derby was the injury to Gabriel Rojas, who tore his right hamstring while with the Argentina national team during the FIFA international window, and Costas will be without one of his best players for the visit to Independiente.

Independiente’s probable starting XI vs. Racing, for the Apertura Tournament Rodrigo Rey; Santiago Arias, Kevin Lomónaco, Sebastián Valdez, Facundo Zabala; Lautaro Millán, Iván Marcone, Ignacio Malcorra; Santiago Montiel, Gabriel Ávalos and Ignacio Pussetto. Coach: Gustavo Quinteros.

Racing’s possible lineup vs. Independiente, for the Apertura Tournament Facundo Cambeses; Ezequiel Cannavo, Marco Di Cesare, Marcos Rojo, Agustín García Basso; Santiago Sosa, Alan Forneris or Baltasar Rodríguez, Adrián Fernández, Santiago Solari, Adrián Martínez and Tomás Conechny. Coach: Gustavo Costas.

Independiente vs. Racing, for the Apertura Tournament: where to watch live and match facts Time: 5:30 PM TV: ESPN Premium and TNT Sports Referee: Leandro Rey Hilfer VAR: Germán Delfino

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.