Atlético Rafaela v San Martín de Formosa: promotion final first leg | OneFootball

Atlético de Rafaela will face, this Sunday at 5:00 PM, the first leg of the grand final for promotion to the Primera Nacional 2026, visiting San Martín de Formosa at the 17 de Octubre stadium.

This will be the first of two chapters that will determine whether the “Crema” returns to the second division or if the team from Formosa prevails, with the rematch scheduled for a week later at the Monumental de Alberdi, where the Rafaela team has remained unbeaten throughout the entire season.

The match will be refereed by Diego Novelli, from Tandil, the official appointed to deliver justice in a clash that promises tension and intensity in the north of the country.

Hope, revenge, and a challenge away from home

The team led by Iván Juárez travels with a mix of hope and caution. Atlético comes off a very solid campaign at home, but with difficulties on the road, a factor that the coaching staff itself recognizes as a key point for this final. The series will be decided in Alberdi, but the Crema knows that a good result in Formosa could be decisive in paving the way for the long-awaited promotion.

Additionally, the thirst for revenge over the lost final against Bolívar in San Nicolás still lingers within the squad. That sporting wound has become fuel for a group that has found cohesion, intensity, and tactical discipline under Juárez’s leadership.

San Martín, a tough and confident rival

On the other side stands a San Martín de Formosa team that is strong at home and arrives motivated after a consistent campaign, with offensive power and defensive order. The Formosa side has already shown that they are hard to beat at home, so Atlético will need to show character, precision, and a solid defensive structure to withstand the match and look to strike at the right moments.

The key: focus on the first leg, finish at home

At the Monumental, Atlético built much of its competitive identity. There, they remained unbeaten and displayed their best collective performances. That’s why the strategy is to reach the second leg with the series still open and the pressure shifted to the visitors. Juárez insisted throughout the week on the need to “play a smart final,” knowing that what happens in Formosa will set the tone for the outcome in Alberdi.

A dream 180 minutes away

The Crema is once again two matches away from returning to the Primera Nacional. And although the path seems familiar, the team arrives more mature, deeper, and with a conviction strengthened by the work done all year. The first step will be taken this Sunday in Formosa; the second, in front of their fans.

The dream remains intact. The hope is more alive than ever.

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