After La Plata blow, Racing seek upset v Di María's Rosario Central | OneFootball

El Canalla and the Academia will face off this Wednesday at 6:45 p.m. at the Gigante de Arroyito, fighting for a place in the championship semifinals.

Rosario Central and Racing will star this Wednesday in one of the most attractive quarterfinal matchups of the 2026 Torneo Apertura. The match will be played from 6:45 p.m. at the Gigante de Arroyito and will determine the semifinal opponent of the winner between River and Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata.

El Canalla come into the match strengthened after a great comeback against Independiente. Jorge Almirón’s team started behind after a goal by Gabriel Ávalos, but reacted quickly and ended up winning 3-1 in front of their home crowd.

The standout player of the afternoon was once again Ángel Di María, who scored a brilliant goal to spark the comeback and was decisive in the team’s attacking play. Then the youngsters Giovanni Cantizano and Elías Verón stepped up to seal qualification.

After the win, Di María left a remark that quickly caused a stir: “There are people who talk too much and end up dragging players into it who have nothing to do with it”, referring to various comments that had been circulating around the squad in recent days.

On the other side will be the Academia, who managed to catch their breath when they needed it most. Gustavo Costas’ team was going through a deep footballing crisis and came in battered after a negative run that sparked internal and external criticism.

However, the Avellaneda side earned a key win against Estudiantes de La Plata at UNO and made it into the tournament’s final eight. When the match seemed headed for extra time, Santiago Sosa rose to head home and give them a qualification that changed the mood in the squad.

After the victory, Costas also chose to send a message behind closed doors at the club: “They always want to divide you to weaken you”, said the coach, who also called for unity amid the criticism the team had received in recent weeks.

Racing had won just one of their last nine official matches, and both the board and the players had been under fire from the fans. That is why the victory in La Plata meant much more than a simple qualification.

Now, at a Gigante de Arroyito that promises to be rocking, Central and Racing will be playing not only for a place in the semifinals, but also for the chance to confirm their respective recoveries at a decisive moment in the season.

Probable lineups, time, TV and refereeing

Rosario Central: Jeremías Ledesma; Emanuel Coronel, Ignacio Ovando, Gastón Ávila, Agustín Sández; Franco Ibarra and Vicente Pizarro; Enzo Giménez, Guillermo Fernández, Ángel Di María; Enzo Copetti. Coach: Jorge Almirón.

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