Independiente v Estudiantes: top clash to open the Apertura | OneFootball

El Rojo hosts the champion for the opening matchday of the Apertura Tournament of the Professional League.

Independiente and Estudiantes de La Plata will face each other this Friday from 8:00 PM at the Estadio Libertadores de América–Ricardo Enrique Bochini, for the first matchday of the 2026 Apertura Tournament. El Rojo will look to start the championship on the right foot, although they will be up against a Pincha side that comes in with the momentum of having been the 2025 Clausura champion.

The Avellaneda team did not achieve qualification for the Copa Sudamericana and will therefore focus all their efforts on the domestic tournament, aiming to break a 24-year streak without domestic titles. For this season, one of the standout signings was Ignacio Malcorra, who arrived as a free agent after his stint with Rosario Central.

During the preseason, Independiente took part in the Serie Río de La Plata, where they showed good results: they defeated Alianza Lima 2-1, Everton 5-3, and Montevideo Wanderers 2-0, in a preparation that left positive signs.

Estudiantes, meanwhile, will start the Apertura as the reigning champion. At the end of December, they were crowned in the 2025 Clausura after winning 5-4 on penalties against Racing, and then they claimed the Trofeo de Campeones by beating Platense 2-1. In addition, last Monday they debuted in the Copa Argentina with a 4-0 thrashing of Ituzaingó, which put them into the next round.

In the transfer market, Pincha added Adolfo Gaich, former striker of San Lorenzo, aiming to strengthen their attacking power for a demanding season.

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