Racing is now fighting to avoid relegation, not fighting for a cup
A mitad del Clausura argentino, el fútbol ya no admite ambigüedades: River y Boca consolidan su pulso por la Copa Libertadores mientras Racing, otrora aspirante, se hunde en una crisis que pone en duda su presencia en el fútbol continental de 2026. El torneo revela, como siempre, que la distancia entre la gloria y el abismo puede medirse en apenas unos pocos puntos.
- River y Boca ganaron el mismo domingo y se mantienen separados por un solo punto en la pelea por la clasificación directa a la Libertadores, con Rosario Central acechando desde lo alto de la tabla anual.
- Racing perdió en su cancha ante Unión y cayó al fondo de la Zona A, un derrumbe que en pocas semanas los llevó de aspirantes a trofeos a candidatos a quedarse sin fútbol internacional.
- Vélez protagoniza la transformación más sorprendente del torneo: de pelear el descenso a perseguir el campeonato, ahora segundos en la Zona B y con una cita en cuartos de Libertadores ante el propio Racing.
- Estudiantes, vigente participante de los cuartos de la Libertadores, enfrenta la paradoja de poder quedar sin clasificación internacional para 2026 si no revierte su marcha en el torneo local.
- El pelotón del medio —Independiente Rivadavia, Huracán, Barracas Central— libra su propia batalla silenciosa por los puestos de Copa Sudamericana y la permanencia en primera división.
A siete fechas del Clausura, el torneo argentino empieza a mostrar su verdadera fisonomía. River Plate venció a San Martín de San Juan el domingo y recuperó la cima de la Zona B con 46 puntos. Boca Juniors hizo lo propio ante Aldosivi y se mantiene tercero en la Zona A con 45, a uno de Rosario Central, que lidera la tabla anual pero vio su partido ante Sarmiento suspendido en el entretiempo por las lluvias en Buenos Aires. Los dos clubes más grandes del país pelean punto a punto por uno de los tres cupos directos a la Copa Libertadores 2026.
El contraste más brutal lo ofrece Racing Club. La derrota en casa ante Unión —un equipo que bajo la conducción de Leo Madelón construye un torneo sólido y se aleja de la zona de descenso— hundió al equipo al fondo de la Zona A y cerró de manera casi definitiva sus chances de playoffs y de fútbol internacional el año próximo. Aldosivi, que tampoco gana hace nueve fechas, comparte ese fondo sin salida aparente.
El resto de la fecha dibujó un cuadro de medio table en movimiento. Barracas Central lidera la Zona A tras vencer a Newell's en Rosario. Central Córdoba es segundo en esa zona después de superar a Estudiantes, un equipo que juega los cuartos de la Libertadores pero que podría quedarse sin clasificación continental para 2026. Banfield sumó tres puntos ante Tigre para alejarse del descenso. En Córdoba, Independiente e Instituto empataron sin goles.
El Superclásico entre San Lorenzo y Huracán terminó 0-0 con más clima que fútbol: Huracán conservó su lugar en zona de playoffs y San Lorenzo perdió la chance de acercarse a River. En Mendoza, Independiente Rivadavia venció a Argentinos Juniors y se metió en la pelea por la Copa Sudamericana, ubicándose noveno en la tabla general.
La historia más llamativa de la semana, sin embargo, es la de Vélez. Hace pocas fechas peleaba el descenso; hoy es segundo en la Zona B, persigue el campeonato tras una noche de goles ante Lanús y tiene por delante un duelo de cuartos de Libertadores ante Racing, cuya crisis actual convierte ese cruce en un escenario cargado de ironía. El Clausura, a mitad de camino, ya tiene sus protagonistas y sus víctimas.
Seven matches into Argentina's Clausura tournament, the landscape is hardening. The season is halfway through, and the stakes are no longer theoretical—teams are either climbing toward the Copa Libertadores or sinking toward the drop zone, with the international cup competitions for 2026 hanging in the balance for everyone in between.
River Plate won on Sunday against San Martín de San Juan and reclaimed the top spot in Zone B, a position they had briefly lost to Vélez. The victory keeps them in the conversation for direct Copa Libertadores qualification, where they sit on 46 points. Boca Juniors beat Aldosivi the same day and holds third place in Zone A with 45 points, just one behind Rosario Central, who leads the overall standings but had their match against Sarmiento suspended at halftime due to heavy rain in Buenos Aires. The two biggest clubs in the country are locked in a point-by-point fight for one of the three direct spots in South America's premier club competition next year.
Racing Club, by contrast, is collapsing. They lost at home to Unión on Sunday, a defeat that dropped them to the bottom of Zone A, effectively ending their realistic hopes of reaching the playoffs or qualifying for any international competition in 2026. Unión, managed by Leo Madelón, has been quietly building a solid tournament and now sits well clear of the relegation zone. Aldosivi, Racing's only companion at the bottom, has not won in nine matches and is running out of time to save themselves from going down.
The weekend's other results sketched out the middle of the table. Barracas Central leads Zone A after beating Newell's 2-1 in Rosario on Friday. Central Córdoba, coached by Néstor De Felippe, sits second in the same zone after defeating Estudiantes de La Plata—a team that is currently in the Copa Libertadores quarterfinals but now faces the uncomfortable reality that they may not have secured any international football for 2026. Banfield picked up three points against Tigre to strengthen their survival bid. Instituto and Independiente drew 0-0 in Córdoba, with Independiente still mired at the bottom of Zone B.
San Lorenzo and Huracán played out a goalless Superclásico on Saturday that was heavy on atmosphere and light on quality. Huracán salvaged a point that keeps them in the playoff zone of Zone A, while San Lorenzo missed the chance to overtake River in Zone B. Independiente Rivadavia beat Argentinos Juniors in an entertaining match in Mendoza, a win that positioned them ninth overall and within reach of Copa Sudamericana qualification. Argentinos remains one point behind Boca in the annual standings.
Vélez, the team managed by the Mellizo, has undergone a remarkable transformation. Weeks ago they were fighting relegation. Now they are chasing the championship after a night of impressive goals against Lanús at Liniers, and they sit second in Zone B, just behind River. They also have a Copa Libertadores quarterfinal date with Racing—a matchup that will be watched closely given Racing's current form.
What emerges from this round is a tournament taking shape in two distinct ways. The top tier—River, Boca, and Rosario Central—are pulling away in the race for direct Libertadores entry. Below them, a cluster of teams is fighting for the remaining international spots or simply to avoid the drop. Racing's fall from that middle tier into genuine crisis is the starkest story of the week. They have gone from a team that could reasonably expect to compete for trophies to a team that may not even play continental football next year.
Notable Quotes
Racing's home loss to Unión effectively ended their realistic hopes of reaching the playoffs or qualifying for any international competition in 2026— Tournament standings and context
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does a loss in mid-September matter so much for Racing? The season is still young.
Because the Clausura is only 23 matches. We're at match seven. The math is brutal—there's not enough time to recover from a bad run. Racing is already five or six points behind the playoff line.
And the international spots—those are decided by the final standings, not by zone?
Both matter. Your zone position determines if you can win the tournament. But the annual table—points from both the Apertura and Clausura combined—that's what gets you into the Libertadores. River, Boca, and Rosario Central are pulling away there.
So Racing could theoretically still make the Libertadores?
Theoretically, yes. But they'd have to win almost every remaining match and hope the top three stumble. At this point, they're more likely fighting to avoid relegation than fighting for a cup.
Relegation? From the top division?
Yes. Two teams go down each year. Aldosivi and Racing are the bottom two right now. Racing has the resources to climb out, but the psychology of losing at home, match after match—that's poison.
What about Vélez? They seem to have turned it around completely.
They have. A few weeks ago they were in the same danger zone as Racing. Now they're second in their zone and playing attractive football. It shows how quickly things can shift in a short tournament.
And Rosario Central—they're the safe bet?
They're the only team that hasn't lost. But their match got rained out, so they haven't played as much as everyone else. River and Boca are close enough that if Central stumbles, either of them could catch them.