Instituto de Córdoba became the first team to book a place in the knockout stage of the Torneo Clausura, the league’s second tournament of the season, which takes the top eight teams of each 15-team group. Its win at Defensa y Justicia this round left the Córdoba club with three rounds to play.
Behind Instituto, the other seven places in Zone A are still open: Boca Juniors, Vélez Sarsfield and Defensa y Justicia are level at the front of the chasing pack, and Newell’s Old Boys beat Central Córdoba to move into the top eight.
In Zone B, Rosario Central and Argentinos Juniors both won and share the lead. The round’s turning point came in Córdoba, where River Plate beat Belgrano and moved back into the qualifying places, sixth in the zone.
The result also steadied River’s interim coach, Leonardo Ponzio, who said afterward that “I know where I stand” when asked about reports that Ramón Díaz could replace him. Ponzio stays at least through the home game against Racing Club, and his midfielder Fausto Vera is out until the second week of November with a hamstring tear. A week after Racing comes the Superclásico, the derby with Boca Juniors, at La Bombonera on November 1, in the second-to-last round.
Racing sits 13th in Zone B, seven points off the last playoff place with three rounds left, after a draw with Independiente. The club’s leadership decided to fine defender Alfonso Espino for lifting his shirt at fans who jeered him, TyC Sports reported. Espino apologized: “I want to apologize to all of Racing’s people because I was wrong.”
At the bottom, Estudiantes de Río Cuarto is already relegated on the multi-season averages table. Because it is also last in the 2026 annual table, the second relegation place passes to the next-lowest club there. That is Aldosivi, which lost at Estudiantes and has 16 points, against 23 for Deportivo Riestra.
Round 14 opens on Friday, October 23, and ends on Monday, October 26, when Riestra faces Instituto.