Unión seek qualification boost against struggling Newell’s in Rosario | OneFootball

Unión, with their place in the top division secured, will visit the desperate Newell’s at 9:15 PM at the Coloso Marcelo Bielsa in Rosario, for matchday 14.

After sealing their stay in the top tier, Unión will face a new trial by fire this Friday in Rosario, where they will take on Newell’s for matchday 14 of the 2025 Liga Profesional Clausura Tournament. The match will kick off at 9:15 PM at the Marcelo Bielsa stadium, with coverage from Radio Gol and TNT Sports.

The contrast between the two teams is as evident as the moments they are experiencing. La Lepra, mired in a football and morale crisis, will look for a breath of fresh air in front of their fans in the debut of interim coach Lucas Bernardi, while Tatengue, buoyed by a 3-0 win over Defensa y Justicia, will try to take another step towards their big goal: reaching the playoffs for the first time since the current cup format was implemented.

Unión, confident and unchanged

Unión’s current situation is very encouraging. The team led by Leonardo Madelón is coming off a key victory against Defensa y Justicia, which allowed them to reach 20 points and climb to fourth place in the group, right in the playoff qualification zone.

With their place already secured, Tatengue will look to keep dreaming. Madelón is expected to maintain the same starting eleven that shone at the 15 de Abril, with Agustín Colazo and Cristian Tarragona as the attacking duo and a solid midfield led by Mauricio Martínez and Mauro Pittón.

Newell’s, desperate and with Bernardi on the bench

The Rosario side is coming off a 3-1 defeat to Argentinos Juniors and sits second-to-last in Zone A, with just 11 points from 13 matches. Earlier this week, Cristian Fabbiani left his post after a string of poor results. He was replaced by Bernardi, a club idol and former Lepra coach, who accepted the challenge of trying to spark an immediate turnaround.

However, the outlook is not simple. In addition to the absences of Éver Banega (sent off), Luca Regiardo (suspended), and Jerónimo Gómez Mattar (called up to the U-17s), Darío Benedetto’s contract was terminated, as he was not in the new coach’s plans. Given this context, Bernardi will bet on a mixed team, combining youth and experience in an attempt to reverse the negative run.

While Newell’s urgently needs points to escape the lower zone, Unión is fighting for the chance to consolidate themselves among the main contenders and keep feeding a dream that grows with each match. For the team from Santa Fe, reaching the playoffs would be a historic achievement; for the team from Rosario, winning at home could be the first step in a much-needed rebuild.

Probable lineups for Newell’s and Unión

Newell’s: Juan Espínola; Alejo Montero, Saúl Salcedo, Luciano Lollo, and Luca Sosa or Martín Luciano, Alan Mereles, and Valentino Acuña; Facundo Guch, Gonzalo Maroni, and Luciano Herrera; Carlos González. Coach: Lucas Bernardi.

Unión: Matías Tagliamonte; Lautaro Vargas, Maizon Rodríguez, Valentín Fascendini, and Mateo Del Blanco; Julián Palacios, Mauro Pittón, Mauricio Martínez, and Nicolás Palavecino; Cristian Tarragona and Agustín Colazo. Coach: Leonardo Madelón.

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