Tate in Mendoza for win and last-16 spot: time, Radio Gol, XIs | OneFootball

Independiente Rivadavia and Unión will face off this Saturday, May 9, starting at 9:30 p.m. at the Bautista Gargantini Stadium, in the Round of 16 of the 2026 Torneo Apertura of the Liga Profesional.

The match will be officiated by Luis Lobo Medina, with Héctor Paletta assisting on VAR.

Unión managed to qualify for the playoffs by the skin of their teeth. Leonardo Madelón’s team closed out the regular season with four matches without a win: they lost 2-1 to Estudiantes and 3-2 to Newell’s, in addition to drawing 2-2 with Vélez and 1-1 against Talleres. If we widen the stats a bit more, El Tate won only one of their last eight matches (at home against Deportivo Riestra), or it could be considered two wins if we include their progression to the next round of the Copa Argentina (in Rosario against Agropecuario). Their qualification for this stage came down to the wire, as they were unable to seal their spot with a win in the final regular-season match against Talleres and had to wait until the very end for Defensa y Justicia not to beat Gimnasia de Mendoza and for Instituto not to defeat Estudiantes de Río Cuarto by 7 goals in order to stay alive in the competition.

Madelón spent almost the entire week working with his starting strike pair of Tarragona and Estigarribia separately from the group, as they were dealing with discomfort in one of their adductors and calves. They were managed carefully, responded well, and unless something happens at the last minute, he will repeat the team that drew with Talleres.

POSSIBLE LINEUP: Matías Mansilla; Lautaro Vargas, Maizon Rodríguez, Juan Pablo Ludueña, Mateo Del Blanco; Julián Palacios, Rafael Profini, Mauro Pittón, Brahian Cuello; Cristian Tarragona and Marcelo Estigarribia.HEAD COACH: Leonardo Madelón

The team managed by Alfredo Berti finished first in Zone B with 34 points and secured top spot with one match to spare, which means they will be able to play at home until a potential semifinal. They will only leave Mendoza if they reach the final, which will be played at Córdoba’s Mario Alberto Kempes Stadium. In addition, Independiente Rivadavia are also enjoying a historic campaign in the Copa Libertadores. Last Wednesday they drew 1-1 with Fluminense on Matchday 4 of Group C and reached ten points, a result that allowed them to become the first team to qualify for the Round of 16 of the continental tournament, with two matches to spare and a strong chance of finishing top of their group. La Lepra are on a run of eleven matches unbeaten, with eight wins and three draws.

POSSIBLE LINEUP: Nicolás Bolcato; Ezequiel Bonifacio, Leonard Costa, Sheyko Studer, Luciano Gómez; José Florentín, Tomás Bottari, Matías Fernández; Sebastián Villa, Alex Arce and Fabrizio Sartori. HEAD COACH: Alfredo Berti

Whoever advances to the quarterfinals will have to face the winner of the Córdoba derby in the next round. Independiente Rivadavia know they would play all potential knockout ties at home because of their position in the table, while the opposite is true for Unión (they would visit Talleres or Belgrano if they win tonight). The next round will take place midweek, and it is worth noting that Berti’s side will have to travel to Venezuela and Bolivia in the coming weeks to complete their Libertadores group stage against La Guaira and Bolívar.

It is worth mentioning that the semifinals will take place next weekend, while the final is scheduled for Sunday, May 24 (3:30 p.m.) at Córdoba’s Mario Alberto Kempes stadium. In the event of a tie after 90 minutes, two 15-minute periods of extra time will be played and, if the deadlock remains, the tie will be decided by a penalty shootout.

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