The Liga Profesional Argentina enters Clausura Matchweek 16, running from 5 November to 8 November 2026 across 15 matches. With the split-group competition heading into its concluding stages, the focus centers on the upper reaches of both sections, where Rosario Central and Argentinos Juniors sit level at the summit of Group B while Instituto Cordoba attempts to protect their advantage over Boca Juniors in Group A. The forecasting model has posted projections for the round's opening fixtures, with evaluations for the remaining games set to appear on their individual match pages the day before kickoff.
The match of the round
River Plate travel to face Aldosivi in Mar del Plata with a clear statistical edge, even after dropping points in a 1-0 defeat away at Boca Juniors last weekend. Prior to that setback, Leonardo Ponzio's side recorded consecutive shutouts, defeating Racing Club 1-0 and Belgrano Cordoba 3-0. Sitting fourth in Group B with 23 points and a plus-five goal difference, River Plate continue to control games through possession and territory despite missing Agustín Ruberto, Aníbal Moreno, and Fausto Vera through injury. Top scorer Gonzalo Montiel, with seven goals across all competitions, remains an influential outlet in wide areas.
Aldosivi occupy 14th place in Group B with 11 points from 15 matches, having suffered a 2-1 defeat at Racing Club in their previous outing. While they managed a 1-0 victory over Belgrano Cordoba in late October, their return of 24 goals conceded is among the poorest in the section. Without injured forward Nicolás Cordero, the scoring burden falls heavily on Andrés Vombergar, who has found the net seven times. Ponzio's squad holds a decisive advantage in technical depth and shot volume, prompting our model to issue a firm projection for a River Plate win, alongside a confident call for the visitors to score the opening goal. A speculative, low-confidence projection leans toward a 2-0 victory for River Plate.
Elsewhere on the opening day, third-placed Gimnasia La Plata host fifth-placed Belgrano Cordoba in Group B. Ariel Pereyra's team comes into the fixture on an eight-match unbeaten sequence, having dispatched Estudiantes de Rio Cuarto 2-1 and Sarmiento Junin 2-0 in recent weeks. Forward Marcelo Torres leads their attack with nine goals this season, helping offset the absences of Agustín Colazo, Bautista Barros Schelotto, and Gonzalo Errecalde. Belgrano arrive having drawn 2-2 with Barracas Central following consecutive defeats, and they must cope without top scorer Nicolás Fernández, who is out injured. Our model issues a cautious, low-confidence call favoring a Gimnasia win, expecting a low-scoring encounter with under 2.5 goals.
Match-by-match
Barracas Central vs Racing Club
Barracas Central sit sixth in Group B on 23 points and are unbeaten in three matches after a 2-2 draw at Belgrano Cordoba and a 2-1 win over Estudiantes de Rio Cuarto. Racing Club sit 12th on 15 points, ending a brief slide with a 2-1 win against Aldosivi, but they are without top scorer Adrián Martínez as well as Alan Forneris and Marco Di Césare.
Independiente vs Deportivo Riestra
Independiente hold eighth spot in Group A with 20 points, having shared points in a 1-1 draw at Defensa y Justicia last time out. Striker Gabriel Ávalos leads their scoring with 11 goals, while defender Jonathan De Irastorza is sidelined. Deportivo Riestra sit 14th after back-to-back defeats to Talleres Cordoba (3-0) and Instituto Cordoba (1-0).
San Lorenzo vs Platense
San Lorenzo enter on the back of successive draws against Velez Sarsfield (2-2) and Newells Old Boys (0-0), placing them ninth in Group A with 19 points. Rodrigo Auzmendi has seven goals this term, though the hosts are without Cristian Nahuel Barrios, Ezequiel Cerutti, and Gastón Hernández. Platense sit two points behind in 11th, buoyed by consecutive wins over Central Cordoba (2-0) and Gimnasia Mendoza (2-1).
Union Santa Fe vs Velez Sarsfield
Union Santa Fe have taken five points from their last three matches, including a 3-1 home win over Estudiantes and a 1-1 draw at Newells, led by Cristian Tarragona's 15 goals. Third-placed Velez Sarsfield have 28 points and a plus-10 goal difference, having followed a 5-0 win over Central Cordoba with a 2-2 draw against San Lorenzo. Emanuel Mammana is sidelined for the visitors.
Banfield vs Atletico Tucuman
Banfield sit 13th in Group B with 14 points after a 3-1 loss at Independiente Rivadavia, with top scorer Mauro Méndez seeking support in the absence of Manuel Arteaga. Atletico Tucuman sit 10th with 17 points following a 2-1 home loss to Argentinos Juniors, and they travel without the suspended Luciano Vallejo along with injured pair Gastón Suso and Kevin Ortíz.
Tigre vs Sarmiento Junin
Tigre moved to 16 points in Group B following a 2-0 victory at Huracan, with Ignacio Russo scoring eight goals this campaign. Sarmiento Junin hold eighth place on 21 points despite suffering two straight defeats, most recently falling 2-1 at home to Rosario Central. Junior Marabel remains their primary threat with 14 goals.
Gimnasia Mendoza vs Independiente Rivadavia
Gimnasia Mendoza sit seventh in Group A on 21 points, having drawn 1-1 at Lanus following two straight defeats, with Agustín Módica leading their scoring on 14 goals. Independiente Rivadavia occupy seventh in Group B on 22 points, having beaten Banfield 3-1 last time out, though they are without Luciano Gómez, Maximiliano Salas, and Sheyko Studer.
Talleres Cordoba vs Estudiantes L.P.
Talleres snapped a two-match losing run with a 3-0 victory at Deportivo Riestra, lifting them to 12 points in Group A. Estudiantes sit 12th with 15 points following an entertaining 3-3 draw against leaders Instituto Cordoba, though they travel without Gabriel Neves, Jalil Elías, and Tomás Palacios.
Argentinos Juniors vs Huracan
Argentinos Juniors sit second in Group B with 31 points, trailing the lead only on goal difference after three consecutive victories, including a 2-1 win at Atletico Tucuman. Huracan have dropped to ninth after three straight defeats without scoring more than once, though forward Jordy Caicedo remains dangerous with 14 goals.
Boca Juniors vs Defensa y Justicia
Second-placed Boca Juniors enter with 30 points in Group A following three successive wins, capped by a 1-0 victory over River Plate. Miguel Merentiel leads the line with nine goals. Defensa y Justicia sit fourth with 28 points, having drawn 1-1 against Independiente and defeated Talleres 2-1 in recent weeks.
Rosario Central vs Estudiantes de Rio Cuarto
Group B leaders Rosario Central have won three straight matches, scoring seven goals in that span and conceding three, with Ángel Di María tallying 11 goals this season. Bottom-placed Estudiantes de Rio Cuarto sit 15th with nine points and a minus-11 goal difference, entering on back-to-back 2-1 losses against Gimnasia La Plata and Barracas Central.
Instituto Cordoba vs Newells Old Boys
Instituto lead Group A with 33 points after a 3-3 draw at Estudiantes, though they must manage without suspended defender Leonel Mosevich. Newells Old Boys sit sixth on 22 points, having drawn their last two fixtures against Union Santa Fe (1-1) and San Lorenzo (0-0).
Central Cordoba de Santiago vs Lanus
Central Cordoba sit bottom of Group A with 10 points and 25 goals conceded, having lost three straight games including a 5-0 home defeat to Velez Sarsfield. Fifth-placed Lanus have 25 points and are unbeaten in three matches, conceding only 11 goals across their 15 fixtures.
Matchweek 16 could trigger significant movement at the summit of both sections. Instituto Cordoba face pressure from Boca Juniors in Group A, while Rosario Central and Argentinos Juniors enter level at the top of Group B. At the foot of the tables, Aldosivi and Estudiantes de Rio Cuarto confront demanding assignments against top-four opposition.
