How Unión fared with Andrés Merlos as referee | OneFootball

El Tatengue will have Andrés Merlos as the referee in Alberdi against Belgrano, and the numbers give them a positive balance.

The countdown to the clash between Unión and Belgrano is already underway, and in recent hours the AFA confirmed that Andrés Merlos will be in charge of officiating this Tuesday starting at 7 p.m. at the Julio César Villagra Stadium, for the Apertura Tournament quarterfinals.

The referee will be accompanied by Diego Bonfa and Federico Cano as assistants, while Joaquín Gil will be the fourth official. Fernando Espinoza and Salomé Di Iorio will be on VAR and AVAR.

How Unión has fared with Andrés Merlos

Unión’s record with Merlos is extensive and fairly balanced. El Tatengue has played 24 matches under his officiating, with eight wins, six draws, and ten losses, giving them a success rate of close to 42%.

The first meeting dates back to September 24, 2013, when Unión drew 1-1 with San Martín de San Juan in the Primera Nacional. The most recent one, meanwhile, was the thrilling 4-4 draw against Independiente on March 10, 2026.

Major wins and memorable matches

Among the most notable victories are the 3-0 win over San Martín de Tucumán in the 2019 Copa Superliga, the 2-0 win against Patronato in 2021, and also the 2-1 victory over San Lorenzo in Santa Fe during the 2024 Liga Profesional.

In addition, Merlos refereed several important away matches in which Unión came away celebrating, such as the 3-1 win over Defensa y Justicia in 2017, the 2-0 victory against Banfield in 2018, and the 1-0 win over Gimnasia in La Plata in 2019.

However, there were also difficult nights, such as the 3-0 loss to Talleres in Córdoba in 2021, the 2-0 defeat against Sarmiento in 2023, and the recent loss to Aldosivi in the 2025 Clausura.

Belgrano and weaker numbers with Merlos

On the Pirata side, the record is not as favorable. Belgrano has played 17 times with Andrés Merlos and managed just four wins, along with five draws and eight losses, with a success rate of around 33%.

The Córdoba club’s first match with Merlos was in 2013, in a 3-2 victory over Atlético de Rafaela. The most recent precedent, meanwhile, was the 2-1 loss to Racing on March 22 of this year.

The Gigante de Alberdi awaits another heated clash

With two teams arriving in strong form after knocking out heavyweight opponents in the round of 16, the officiating is also emerging as a focal point for a match that promises intensity and tension.

Belgrano is coming off a win in the Córdoba derby against Talleres, while Unión pulled off the biggest shock of the knockout stage by eliminating Independiente Rivadavia in Mendoza, the best team of the regular stage.

Now, with Merlos as the main referee, Tatengues and Piratas will look to take another step toward the Apertura Tournament semifinals.

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