Unión go for a last-16 spot with their fans behind them: must beat Talleres | OneFootball

On the evening of Santa Fe, Unión host Talleres de Córdoba. They will face off from 6:45 p.m. at the 15 de Abril Stadium in the previously suspended and postponed Matchday 9 of the 2026 Apertura Tournament. El Tatengue have taken just one point from their last nine, but they know that a win against Tévez’s side in Santa Fe will put them in the playoffs without depending on other results.

The match will be televised by ESPN Premium with the Football Pack and broadcast on Radio Gol 96.7 FM, with commentary by Sergio “Chango” López and Julio Martínez.

Tate had qualification well on track, but in the last three rounds they lost 2-1 to Estudiantes in stoppage time and 3-2 to Newell’s, and drew 2-2 against Vélez. That is why they head into the end of the regular phase with a real chance of reaching the playoffs (where they had been throughout the tournament), but they could also miss out.

Unión are 8th in Zone A with 20 points, and if they beat Talleres they will secure qualification for the round of 16. If they draw, they need Defensa y Justicia not to take all three points against Gimnasia de Mendoza, or Instituto not to thrash Estudiantes by a seven-goal margin in Río Cuarto. If they lose, they will have to wait until Monday and hope that neither El Halcón nor La Gloria wins.

For today, coach Leonardo Madelón will make just one change to the starting eleven. The manager brings in Marcelo Estigarribia (who served his one-match suspension for yellow-card accumulation) in place of Nicolás Palavecino, who is also injured.

Meanwhile, La T are coming off a scoreless draw against Estudiantes in La Plata, but before that match they had already sealed their place in the round of 16 thanks to Boca’s 4-0 win over Defensa y Justicia. With 25 points, Talleres are 4th, and a win in Santa Fe would guarantee them home advantage, at least in the first playoff knockout match. If they draw or lose to Unión, they will have to keep an eye on what happens with Lanús, who will host Riestra hours earlier, since El Granate have 23 points and could overtake them with a win over El Malevo.

Matchday 9 was moved to the end of the schedule as the final round of the Apertura regular phase because in early March the AFA and all Argentine football officials staged a strike, a measure taken in response to tax evasion charges against the Association and some of its most important officials.

Probable lineups

Unión: Matías Mansilla; Lautaro Vargas, Maizon Rodríguez, Juan Pablo Ludueña, Mateo Del Blanco; Julián Palacios, Rafael Profini, Mauro Pittón, Brahian Cuello; Marcelo Estigarribia and Cristian Tarragona. Coach: Leonardo Carol Madelón.

Talleres: Guido Herrera; Augusto Schott, Matías Catalán, José Luis Palomino and Alexandro Maidana; Mateo Cáceres and Matías Galarza; Valentín Depietri, Franco Cristaldo and Rick; Ronaldo Martínez. Coach: Carlos Tevez.

Time: 6:45 p.m.

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