2011 in mind: River and Belgrano to decide the Apertura title | OneFootball

The final will be played next Sunday, May 24, at the Mario Alberto Kempes. For the Córdoba side, it will be the first top-flight final in their history, while for River, it will mark the first direct title clash between the two since the 2011 Promotion playoff.

River and Belgrano will play the 2026 Torneo Apertura final next Sunday, May 24, at 3:30 p.m. at the Mario Alberto Kempes Stadium. The Córdoba team reached this stage after beating Argentinos Juniors on penalties in La Paternal, making it to the first league final in the top division in its 121-year history. Meanwhile, the team managed by Coudet advanced to the match after a 1-0 win over Rosario Central at the Monumental thanks to a goal from Facundo Colidio.

This matchup clearly brings back memories of the Promotion playoff played in June 2011, a series in which the club from the Alberdi neighborhood earned promotion and sent River down to the second division of Argentine football. Three members of the current Belgrano delegation remain from that tie: Ricardo Zielinski as head coach, Juan Carlos Olave as part of the current coaching staff, and Franco “Mudo” Vázquez in the professional squad.

Since that meeting, they have faced each other 14 times, with a record of eight wins for River, four for Belgrano and two draws. The most recent knockout-stage meeting was in the 2023 Copa de la Liga, where the Núñez side won 2-1.

The AFA will confirm in the coming days the allocation of fans and the referees for the match in the Córdoba capital.

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