Quinteros kicks off his spell at the Rojo against a rampant Estudiantes | OneFootball

This Friday, Independiente and the recent champion Estudiantes de La Plata will face each other at the Estadio Libertadores de América – Ricardo Enrique Bochini, in the opening match of the first round of the Torneo Apertura of the Professional Football League. The match, scheduled for 20:00, will feature two teams with very different current situations.

The "Rojo" seeks recovery with Gustavo Quinteros

Independiente starts 2026 with the hope of leaving behind an irregular 2025. After reaching the semifinals of the Apertura, the second half of the year was forgettable, being eliminated from the Copa Sudamericana and the Copa Argentina, and failing to qualify for international tournaments.

Now, under the technical direction of Gustavo Quinteros, the main goal for the "Rojo" is clear: to break the nearly 24-year streak without local titles and to rediscover the level they showed at the beginning of last year.

Estudiantes, to validate their crown

The "Pincha," on the other hand, is experiencing an excellent moment. Led by Eduardo Domínguez, they recently became champions of the Torneo Clausura after an exciting penalty shootout final against Racing, and a week later they lifted the Trofeo de Campeones by defeating Platense 2-1.

Estudiantes, who also reached the quarterfinals of the 2025 Copa Libertadores, arrives in Avellaneda as a highly complex opponent with the ambition to compete on all fronts.

Uncertainty in the line-ups

Both coaches are keeping the line-ups in suspense, awaiting a possible amnesty from the AFA for the sanctioned players.

In Independiente: Rodrigo Fernández Cedrés and Ignacio Malcorra are doubtful. In Estudiantes: Several starters might miss the match due to sanctions following the protest against Rosario Central in the champions' corridor.

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