The Argentine football first division tournament is entering its decisive stages, with several teams in the running for the silverware and international spots.
There are two trophies still up for grabs this season, with everything else hinging on who claims what. With just two matchdays remaining in the season, things are set to unfold in the coming days.
The first brick in the wall is the Campeón de Liga (League Champion) title, awarded to the team that racks up the most points in the Torneo Apertura and Torneo Clausura — the two halves of the season — on aggregate.
This is determined by the annual table, where the top seven are just six points apart.
The whole season on the line
Boca Juniors leads the charge with 57 points after 30 games. The Xeneize could drop, however, with two very tricky games still on its calendar: it hosts Superclásico rivals River Plate on November 1 and Torneo Clausura hopefuls Defensa y Justicia on November 7.
However, the team from La Boca has an ace up its sleeve. If the season were to end in a point draw, the champion will be determined by goal differential. In that instance, Boca’s +20 edge could prove decisive.
Close behind the Xeneize are Rosario Central and Veléz Sarsfield with 56 and 55 points, respectively, both with 30 games played. Both will be looking to hold on to those top-3 spots, which guarantee a place in next year’s Copa Libertadores.
Central, in particular, is in a good position to profit from any points Boca drops along the way, with a fairly accessible two games remaining. They will play mid-table Sarmiento (October 30) and already-relegated Estudiantes de Rio Cuarto (November 7).
For Vélez, things are looking a bit steeper, hosting the always tricky San Lorenzo (October 31) before visiting Unión (Santa Fe).
Aiming to throw a spanner in the works will be Argentinos Juniors. The Bichitos Colorados. They could climb all the way to second with a win on Tuesday against Independiente Rivadavia.
Behind them, Instituto (53 points, 30 games), Independiente Rivadavia (53 points, 29 games), River (52 points, 30 games) and Gimnasia La Plata (51 points, 30 games) all are vying to turn their Copa Sudamericana spots into a chance at the Libertadores.
What about the Clausura?
The annual table isn’t the only one where things could get shuffled. In the Torneo Clausura, the 30 top-tier teams are split into two groups, with the top eight in each moving to the playoff stage.
In Group A, Instituto (32 points), Vélez (27 points), Boca Juniors (27 points), and Defensa y Justicia (27 points) have virtually sealed their playoff spots, but the scramble is on for the last few places.
Newell’s Old Boys (6th, 21 points), Gimnasia de Mendoza (7th, 20 points), and Independiente (8th, 19 points) hold the final qualification slots, with San Lorenzo (9th, 18 points) and Unión (10th, 17 points) close in pursuit.
The race for Group B’s spots has a question mark hanging over it with the Matchday 13 game between Argentinos Juniors (2nd, 25 points) and Independiente Rivadavia (9th, 19 points) on Tuesday.
A win for Argentinos locks up a top-two seed, while a victory for La Lepra Mendocina would jump them over Huracán into 8th place.
River Plate (4th, 23 points), Belgrano (5th, 22 points), and Barracas Central (6th, 22 points) are all comfortably in the top eight. None, however, can afford complacency, with Sarmiento (7th, 21 points) and Huracán (8th, 19 points) in the chase.
After the playoff places are decided, the seeded teams in each group (first to fourth) will face the unseeded teams in the other group (fifth to eighth) in a single-game elimination tournament, with home-ground advantage for the higher seed.
The winner of the Torneo Clausura secures a guaranteed spot in the Copa Libertadores regardless of its annual table finish, and a Trofeo de Campeones (Champions Trophy) face-off against the Torneo Apertura winners, Belgrano (Córdoba).
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