How Unión fared with Andrés Merlos as referee | OneFootball

Tatengue will have Andrés Merlos as the referee in Alberdi against Belgrano, and the numbers give them a positive balance.

The countdown to the clash between Unión and Belgrano is already underway, and in recent hours the AFA confirmed that Andrés Merlos will be in charge of officiating this Tuesday from 7 p.m. at the Julio César Villagra stadium, for the Apertura Tournament quarterfinals.

The referee will be accompanied by Diego Bonfa and Federico Cano as assistants, while Joaquín Gil will be the fourth official. Fernando Espinoza and Salomé Di Iorio will be on VAR and AVAR.

How Unión has fared with Andrés Merlos

Unión’s record with Merlos is extensive and fairly even. Tatengue has played 24 matches under his officiating, with a total of eight wins, six draws, and 10 losses, which marks an effectiveness rate close to 42%.

The first meeting dates back to September 24, 2013, when Unión drew 1-1 against San Martín de San Juan in Primera Nacional. The most recent, meanwhile, was the thrilling 4-4 draw against Independiente on March 10, 2026.

Key wins and memorable matches

Among the most notable victories are the 3-0 win over San Martín de Tucumán in the 2019 Copa Superliga, the 2-0 against Patronato in 2021, and also the 2-1 victory over San Lorenzo in Santa Fe during the 2024 Liga Profesional.

In addition, Merlos officiated several important away matches in which Unión managed to celebrate, such as the 3-1 over Defensa y Justicia in 2017, the 2-0 against Banfield in 2018, and the 1-0 win over Gimnasia in La Plata in 2019.

However, there were also difficult nights, such as the 3-0 loss to Talleres in Córdoba in 2021, the 2-0 defeat against Sarmiento in 2023, and the recent loss to Aldosivi in the 2025 Clausura.

Belgrano and weaker numbers with Merlos

On the Pirata side, the background is not as favorable. Belgrano has played 17 times with Andrés Merlos and managed just four wins, along with five draws and eight losses, with an effectiveness rate around 33%.

The Córdoba side’s first match with Merlos was in 2013, in a 3-2 victory over Atlético de Rafaela. The most recent precedent, meanwhile, was the 2-1 defeat to Racing on March 22 of this year.

The Gigante de Alberdi awaits another heated clash

With two teams arriving in good form after eliminating strong rivals in the round of 16, the refereeing also appears as a point of attention for a match that promises intensity and tension.

Belgrano is coming off a win in the Córdoba derby against Talleres, while Unión pulled off the big surprise of the knockout stage by eliminating Independiente Rivadavia in Mendoza, the best team of the regular stage.

Now, with Merlos as the main referee, Tatengues and Piratas will look to take another step toward the Apertura Tournament semifinals.

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