On Thursday lunchtime, the Superliga Argentina de Fútbol finally released the fixture list for the coming season, which will kick off on Friday, 10th August. Like last season, teams will all play each other just once (with twenty-six teams in the league, there’s not time for everyone to play everyone else twice), with the championship ending in early April. Four relegations will be decided according to the promedios (two teams will be promoted from the B Nacional, so the following Superliga season will feature 24 teams). That will be followed by the Copa de la Superliga to pass the remaining time and give the TV companies some football to show still; the top six teams in the league will qualify automatically, while the remaining twenty (including the relegated teams) will play off to join them in the last sixteen. The last sixteen, quarter-finals and semi-finals will be played over two legs with the team finishing higher up the league table given home advantage in the second leg, and the final will be a single match in a neutral ground. Depending on who you listen to, either no decision has yet been taken on whether the winners of this cup will get a continental spot for 2020, or the winners will have a spot in the Copa Libertadores. Anyway, here are the fixtures …
Exact dates and kick off times will be announced closer to each weekend. Independiente’s opening round game has already been postponed, while Boca’s second round match will presumably have to be given they’re going to Barcelona to take part in the Trofeo Joan Gamper, although club president Daniel Angelici has stated that the club haven’t made any such request.
I’ve marked clásicos (including clashes between two Big Five sides) in red. As I’ve just typed this all up by hand I’ve probably missed one or two; do feel free to point them out in the comments or on Twitter and I’ll get them marked up. Although, as I say, the days haven’t been totally finalised yet, if you’re planning a trip to Argentina to watch some football and want to be here for one of the big matches, just be sure to be in the appropriate city for both the Saturday and the Sunday of the weekend in question and you’ll almost definitely be fine. The ‘smaller’ clubs (and very occasionally the bigger ones) will play on Friday and Monday evenings, but it’s highly unlikely – although not impossible – that a clásico will be put in one of those slots.
River Plate, Boca Juniors, San Lorenzo, Huracán, Argentinos Juniors, and Vélez Sarsfield are all located inside the City of Buenos Aires; as well as these, Independiente, Racing, Defensa y Justicia, Lanús, Banfield, and Tigre are in the Greater Buenos Aires metropolitan area, so if you’re staying in Buenos Aires they’ll be reachable. The two La Plata clubs, Estudiantes and Gimnasia, are doable in a day trip from Buenos Aires as well.
For other cities you’re best off working the city into your stay, as they’re further from the capital: Newell’s Old Boys and Rosario Central both play in the pleasant riverside city of Rosario; Colón and Unión in Santa Fe; Talleres and Belgrano are in the university city of Córdoba; Atlético and San Martín de Tucumán are both in San Miguel de Tucumán, a city key to Argentina’s history and independence movement; Godoy Cruz are based in the capital of the wine-and-spectacular-scenery province of Mendoza, and San Martín de San Juan are in the neighbouring wine-producing province of, erm, San Juan. I think that covers everyone apart from Patronato, who are based in Paraná. I’m struggling to think of a reason to go there either for the football or for tourism.
If you want advice on getting tickets or recommendations of decent groups to go with for the Buenos Aires clubs, feel free to get in touch with me.
Round 1 (10th–13th August 2018)
Boca Juniors v Talleres
Independiente v San Martín de Tucumán
Lanús v Defensa y Justicia
Vélez Sarsfield v Newell’s Old Boys
Patronato de la Juventud Católica v Colón
Belgrano v San Martín de San Juan
Huracán v River Plate
Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata v Argentinos Juniors
Tigre v San Lorenzo de Almagro
Rosario Central v Banfield
Atlético Tucumán v Racing Club
Godoy Cruz Antonio Tomba v Estudiantes
Unión v Aldosivi
Round 2 (17th–20th August)
River v Belgrano
Aldosivi v Huracán
Racing v Vélez
Banfield v Gimnasia
Colón v Tigre
Talleres v Central
San Lorenzo v Lanús
Argentinos v Godoy Cruz
Estudiantes v Boca
Defensa v Atlético
San Martín (T) v Unión
San Martín (SJ) v Patronato
Newell’s v Independiente
Round 3 (24th–27th August)
River v Argentinos
Independiente v Defensa
Lanús v Aldosivi
Vélez v Banfield
Patronato v Racing
Belgrano v Estudiantes
Huracán v Boca
Gimnasia v Talleres
Tigre v San Martín (SJ)
Central v San Martín (T)
Atlético v Colón
Godoy Cruz v Newell’s
Unión v San Lorenzo
Round 4 (31st August–3rd September)
Boca v Vélez
Aldosivi v Tigre
Racing v Central
Banfield v Patronato
Colón v Unión
Talleres v Godoy Cruz
San Lorenzo v River
Argentinos v Lanús
Estudiantes v Independiente
Defensa v Belgrano
San Martín (T) v Gimnasia
San Martín (SJ) v Huracán
Newell’s v Atlético
Round 5 (14th–17th September)
River v San Martín (SJ)
Argentinos v Boca
Estudiantes v Aldosivi
Vélez v San Martín (T)
Patronato v Gimnasia
Belgrano v Newell’s
Huracán v Banfield
Independiente v Colón
Lanús v Racing
Central v Defensa
Atlético v Tigre
Godoy Cruz v San Lorenzo
Unión v Talleres
Round 6 (21st–24th September)
Boca v River
Aldosivi v Belgrano
Gimnasia v Central
Defensa v Estudiantes
Colón v Godoy Cruz
Talleres v Vélez
San Lorenzo v Patronato
Racing v Unión
Banfield v Independiente
Tigre v Huracán
San Martín (T) v Argentinos
San Martín (SJ) v Atlético
Newell’s v Lanús
Round 7 (28th September–1st October)
Boca v Colón
Argentinos v Racing
Estudiantes v Newell’s
Vélez v Aldosivi
Patronato v Talleres
Belgrano v Huracán
San Lorenzo v Atlético
Independiente v Tigre
Lanús v River
Central v San Martín (SJ)
San Martín (T) v Banfield
Godoy Cruz v Defensa
Unión v Gimnasia
Round 8 (5th–8th October)
River v Defensa
Aldosivi v San Martín (T)
Gimnasia v Godoy Cruz
Tigre v Estudiantes
Patronato v Independiente
Talleres v Belgrano
Huracán v Argentinos
Racing v Boca
Banfield v San Lorenzo
Central v Unión
Atlético v Lanús
San Martín (SJ) v Vélez
Colón v Newell’s
Round 9 (19th–22nd October)
Boca v Central
Argentinos v Unión
Estudiantes v Atlético
Defensa v Talleres
Colón v River
Belgrano v Banfield
San Lorenzo v San Martín (SJ)
Independiente v Huracán
Lanús v Patronato
Vélez v Gimnasia
San Martín (T) v Racing
Godoy Cruz v Aldosivi
Newell’s v Tigre
Round 10 (26th–29th October)
River v Aldosivi
Racing v San Lorenzo
Banfield v Estudiantes
Vélez v Belgrano
Patronato v Central
Talleres v San Martín (T)
Huracán v Colón
Gimnasia v Boca
Tigre v Lanús
Newell’s v Argentinos
Atlético v Independiente
San Martín (SJ) v Defensa
Unión v Godoy Cruz
Round 11 (1st–4th November)
Boca v Tigre
Aldosivi v Banfield
Racing v Newell’s
Lanús v Huracán
Unión v Patronato
Belgrano v Gimnasia
San Lorenzo v Talleres
Argentinos v Independiente
Estudiantes v River
Defensa y Vélez
San Martín (T) v San Martín (SJ)
Godoy Cruz v Atlético
Central v Colón
Round 12 (9th–12th November)
River v Unión
Independiente v Belgrano
Banfield v Lanús
Vélez v San Lorenzo
Patronato v San Martín (T)
Talleres v Aldosivi
Huracán v Godoy Cruz
Gimnasia v Racing
Tigre v Argentinos
Newell’s v Defensa
Atlético v Central
San Martín (SJ) v Boca
Colón v Estudiantes
Round 13 (23rd–26th November)
Boca v Patronato
Aldosivi v Newell’s
Racing v Banfield
Lanús v Independiente
Unión v Vélez
Belgrano v Atlético
San Lorenzo v Huracán
Argentinos v Talleres
Gimnasia v San Martín (SJ)
Defensa v Tigre
San Martín (T) v Colón
Godoy Cruz v River
Central v Estudiantes
Round 14 (30th November–3rd December)
River v Gimnasia
Aldosivi v San Lorenzo
Estudiantes v Lanús
Tigre v Godoy Cruz
Colón v Belgrano
Talleres v Racing
Huracán v Defensa
Independiente v Boca
Banfield v Argentinos
Vélez v Central
Atlético v San Martín (T)
San Martín (SJ) v Unión
Newell’s v Patronato
Round 15 (7th–10th December)
Boca v Atlético
Argentinos v Aldosivi
Gimnasia v Huracán
Defensa v Colón
Patronato v Vélez
Belgrano v Tigre
San Lorenzo v Estudiantes
Racing v San Martín (SJ)
Lanús v Talleres
Central v River
San Martín (T) v Newell’s
Godoy Cruz v Independiente
Unión v Banfield
Round 16 (25th–28th January 2019)
River v Patronato
Aldosivi v Racing
Estudiantes v Vélez
Defensa v San Lorenzo
Newell’s v Boca
Belgrano v Unión
Huracán v Central
Independiente v Talleres
Banfield v San Martín (SJ)
Tigre v San Martín (T)
Colón v Argentinos
Godoy Cruz v Lanús
Atlético v Gimnasia
Round 17 (1st–4th February)
Boca v Godoy Cruz
Argentinos v Belgrano
Gimnasia v Tigre
Vélez v River
Patronato v Atlético
Talleres v Banfield
San Lorenzo v Independiente
Racing v Huracán
Lanús v Colón
Central v Aldosivi
San Martín (T) v Defensa
San Martín (SJ) v Estudiantes
Unión v Newell’s
Round 18 (8th–11th February)
River v Racing
Aldosivi v San Martín (SJ)
Estudiantes v Patronato
Defensa v Argentinos
Colón v San Lorenzo
Belgrano v Boca
Huracán v Vélez
Independiente v Unión
Lanús v Gimnasia
Tigre v Banfield
Atlético v Talleres
Godoy Cruz v San Martín (T)
Newell’s v Central
Round 19 (15th–18th February)
Boca v Lanús
Argentinos v Estudiantes
Gimnasia v Defensa
Vélez v Colón
Patronato v Aldosivi
Talleres v Huracán
San Lorenzo v Newell’s
Racing v Godoy Cruz
Banfield v River
Central v Tigre
San Martín (T) v Belgrano
San Martín (SJ) v Independiente
Unión v Atlético
Round 20 (22nd–25th February)
River v San Martín (T)
Aldosivi v Gimnasia
Estudiantes v Talleres
Defensa v Boca
Colón v Banfield
Belgrano v San Lorenzo
Huracán v Unión
Independiente v Racing
Lanús v Central
Tigre v Patronato
Atlético v Argentinos
Godoy Cruz v Vélez
Newell’s v San Martín
Round 21 (1st–4th March)
River v Newell’s
Aldosivi v Defensa
Gimnasia v Independiente
Vélez v Tigre
Patronato v Huracán
Talleres v Colón
San Lorenzo v Argentinos
Racing v Estudiantes
Banfield v Atlético
Central v Belgrano
San Martín (T) v Lanús
San Martín (SJ) v Godoy Cruz
Unión v Boca
Round 22 (8th–11th March)
Boca v San Lorenzo
Argentinos v Vélez
Estudiantes v Gimnasia
Defensa v Banfield
Colón v Racing
Belgrano v Patronato
Huracán v San Martín (T)
Independiente v Aldosivi
Lanús v San Martín (SJ)
Tigre v Unión
Atlético v River
Godoy Cruz v Central
Newell’s v Talleres
Round 23 (15th–18th March)
River v Independiente
Aldosivi v Colón
Gimnasia v Newell’s
Vélez v Atlético
Patronato v Defensa
Talleres v Tigre
Huracán v Estudiantes
Racing v Belgrano
Banfield v Godoy Cruz
Central v San Lorenzo
San Martín (T) v Boca
San Martín (SJ) v Argentinos
Unión v Lanús
Round 24 (29th March–1st April)
Boca v Banfield
Argentinos v Central
Estudiantes v San Martín (T)
Defensa v Unión
Colón v San Martín (SJ)
Talleres v River
San Lorenzo v Gimnasia
Independiente v Vélez
Lanús v Belgrano
Tigre v Racing
Atlético v Aldosivi
Godoy Cruz v Patronato
Newell’s v Huracán
Round 25 (5th–8th April)
River v Tigre
Aldosivi v Boca
Gimnasia v Colón
Vélez v Lanús
Unión v Estudiantes
San Martín (SJ) v Talleres
Huracán v Atlético
Racing v Defensa
Banfield v Newell’s
Central v Independiente
Patronato v Argentinos
Belgrano v Godoy Cruz
San Martín (T) v San Lorenzo
Source: the official Superliga website for the fixtures, and this post on Infobae for the stuff about how the Copa de la Superliga will work, because for some reason the Superliga haven’t put that information up themselves.
Hasta El Gol Siempre 