Independiente Rivadavia defend top spot against Argentinos in Mendoza | OneFootball

Mendoza’s Lepra can secure its place in the final stage against a Bicho side coming in on a hot streak and ready to put up a fight.

This Saturday from 3:30 p.m., the Bautista Gargantini Stadium will host a decisive match between Independiente Rivadavia and Argentinos Juniors on Matchday 14 of the Apertura Tournament. The match will be officiated by Darío Herrera and broadcast on ESPN Premium.

The Mendoza Lepra is enjoying a dream run. With 26 points at the top of Zone B, Alfredo Berti’s team is one step away from securing its qualification for the final stage. Depending on other results, they could even clinch that objective without winning.

The momentum is no coincidence: Independiente Rivadavia is coming off an upward run that included promotion and a winning debut in the Copa Libertadores, establishing itself as one of the surprise teams in Argentine football.

There is also an added edge to this clash: it will be the first meeting since the 2025 Copa Argentina final, where the Mendoza side was crowned champion against El Bicho, a memory that will be very much alive in Mendoza.

Despite a demanding schedule — with an upcoming match against Fluminense in Brazil — Berti will go with the best available lineup, looking to wrap up qualification as soon as possible.

On the other side, Argentinos Juniors arrives as a top-level challenge. The team coached by Nicolás Diez is on a run of seven matches unbeaten and four straight wins, sitting in third place and very close to the top.

Probable lineups

Independiente Rivadavia: Nicolás Bolcato; Ezequiel Bonifacio, Iván Villalba, Sheyko Studer, Luciano Gómez; Leonard Costa, José Florentín; Matías Fernández, Fabrizio Sartori, Sebastián Villa; Alex Arce.Coach: Alfredo Berti.

Argentinos Juniors: Brayan Cortés; Kevin Coronel, Francisco Álvarez, Román Riquelme, Sebastián Prieto; Alan Lescano, Federico Fattori, Nicolás Oroz; Emiliano Viveros, Iván Morales, Hernán López Muñoz.Coach: Nicolás Diez.

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