Radio Gol
·17 January 2026
Unión’s second Serie Río de La Plata test against Defensor Sporting

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·17 January 2026

Unión will play their second and final match in the Río de La Plata Series against Defensor Sporting, starting at 6:00 PM. Leonardo Madelón is changing all 11 players.
Unión will take the field again this Saturday to play their second match in the Río de La Plata Series, starting at 6:00 PM, against Defensor Sporting at the Luis Franzini Stadium in Montevideo. This match will serve as a new evaluation test for Leonardo Madelón’s coaching staff.
Unlike the debut against Alianza Lima, the coach will opt for a complete overhaul of the lineup, as he has decided to change all 11 players with the aim of distributing minutes, observing individual performances, and from there, drawing key conclusions ahead of the close of the transfer window. The idea is to broaden the range of alternatives and identify which positions need to be reinforced.
The team that played the first friendly showed much of the core that will officially debut in the Torneo Apertura, when Unión hosts Platense in Santa Fe. That’s why the match against the Uruguayan side is an opportunity for those looking to earn a spot or at least show themselves as reliable options.
For this match, Madelón will not be able to count on Augusto Solari, who is dealing with a physical issue, nor on Santiago Grella, who is also sidelined due to physical problems. Both are aiming to recover in time for the start of official competition.
Federico Gomes Gerth; Emiliano Álvarez, Juan Pablo Ludueña, Nicolás Paz, Bruno Pittón; Misael Aguirre, Emiliano Giaccone, Nicolás Palavecino, and Tomás González; Marcelo Estigarribia and Diego Díaz. Coach: Leonardo Madelón.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.









































