The Copa de la Liga Profesional is the cup-style tournament Argentina’s first-division teams play in the second half of the year. Week seven, from September 29 to October 2, will feature a special menu, as teams will play their designated interzonal rival, with the Superclasico of Boca v. River heading the action on Sunday, October 1.
The 28 first-division teams are split into two 14-team groups for the Copa de la Liga Profesional. Unofficially known as the Fecha de Clasicos (Derby Fixture), the extra fixture in which teams play against their derby rival has become a super Sunday of sorts for Argentine football.
Teams take part regardless of whether they have a traditional rival in the division or not. That’s why the curtain opener for the week’s games will be Tigre hosting Vélez Sarsfield on Friday, October 29 at 8 p.m., a game with more at stake on the points board than team pride.
On Saturday, however, San Lorenzo will host Huracán at 4 p.m. to add another chapter to their historic rivalry. The Clásico de Avellaneda rivals Racing Club and Independiente will clash at 7 p.m. at La Academia’s Juan Domingo Perón stadium, which sits just 400 meters away from the Diablos Rojos home. Arsenal and Defensa y Justicia will add to their burgeoning rivalry earlier, with their match starting at 11 a.m.
In Rosario, Santa Fe province, Rosario Central will host rival Newell’s Old Boys at 4:30 p.m. The closing game will be a new Clásico del Sur, as Banfield hosts Lanús at 9:30 p.m.
The main event of the weekend, however, will undoubtedly be the Superclásico between Boca Juniors and River Plate. It will be a particularly stressful weekend for Xeneize fans as their clash with their traditional rivals is sandwiched between its Copa Libertadores semi-finals commitments. The game will be played at Boca’s La Bombonera stadium Sunday at 2 p.m.
Also on Sunday, Colón will host Santa Fe city rivals Unión at 4:30 p.m., while the Clásico de La Plata between Estudiantes and Gimnasia is set to kick off at 5 p.m. at the Pincharratas home. The Sunday’s closer will be the always heated Clásico de Córdoba where Talleres will host Belgrano at 6:45 p.m.
Four non-derby interzonals will be played on Monday, October 2. Barracas Central will host Sarmiento and Instituto will visit Godoy Cruz at 6:30 p.m. The fixture wraps up with Atlético Tucumán hosting Central Córdoba and Argentinos Juniors visiting Platense (a heated game but not historically a derby), both games at 9 p.m.