Torneo Clausura round 12 preview: Instituto host Boca, Lanús host Vélez and Racing host Belgrano

Round 12 of the Torneo Clausura is played in full from Friday to Monday, and the fixture to watch first is on Friday night: Instituto, the Zona A leaders on 25 points, host Boca, fourth on 20. On Monday Vélez, the only unbeaten side in the tournament, visit Lanús, fifth on 17. In Zona B, Argentinos Juniors lead by two points and play Sunday's inter-zone match away to Platense, while Belgrano, second, visit Racing.

Friday 9 October

Aldosivi v Sarmiento (14:30 Buenos Aires time). Zona B, at the José María Minella. Aldosivi are 14th on eight points and lost 1–0 to Huracán; Sarmiento are seventh on 16 with a match in hand. Aldosivi have not beaten Sarmiento in the last five meetings; the last two were 2–0 wins for Sarmiento in Junín.

Gimnasia de La Plata v Atlético Tucumán (18:00 Buenos Aires time). Zona B, at the Juan Carmelo Zerillo. Gimnasia de La Plata are sixth on 18 points; Atlético Tucumán, 10th on 13, lost 3–2 at home to Barracas Central. Tucumán won the last meeting 1–0, in March 2026; before that, Gimnasia had won four in a row.

Instituto v Boca (19:30 Buenos Aires time). Zona A, at the Presidente Perón in Córdoba. Instituto lead by four points from Vélez and Defensa y Justicia, and come into the match after a 4–1 win over Independiente in Avellaneda; Boca, who have lost only one match in the Clausura, beat Unión 3–0. Boca won 2–0 at the Bombonera in March 2026; in July 2024 it was 0–0 in Córdoba. According to La Nación, Rodolfo Arruabarrena's Boca will be without the injured Tomás Aranda and Adam Bareiro, and Alan Velasco, who his coach believes suffered "a small tear" against Unión, and Tomás Belmonte are also unavailable.

Unión v Defensa y Justicia (21:45 Buenos Aires time). Zona A, at the 15 de Abril. Unión are 10th on 13 points and lost 3–0 at the Bombonera; C. Tarragona is the tournament's top scorer with 14. Defensa y Justicia, third on 21, beat San Lorenzo 3–0. Defensa won 2–0 in Florencio Varela in March 2026; Unión had won 3–0 in Santa Fe in October 2025.

Saturday 10 October

Barracas Central v Huracán (15:45 Buenos Aires time). Zona B, at the Claudio Chiqui Tapia. Barracas Central are in eighth, the last qualifying place, on 15 points after winning 3–2 in Tucumán; Huracán are fourth on 19 and J. Caicedo has 13 goals. Huracán have not beaten Barracas since June 2024: there have since been two 1–0 wins for Barracas and two draws.

Central Córdoba v Estudiantes de La Plata (17:00 Buenos Aires time). Zona A, at the Alfredo Terrera. Central Córdoba are 14th on nine points; Estudiantes de La Plata, ninth on 13, beat Gimnasia de Mendoza 3–0 and are four points off the top eight. Estudiantes won 5–0 in La Plata in March 2026 and 1–0 in Santiago del Estero in November 2025.

Tigre v Banfield (19:15 Buenos Aires time). Zona B, at the José Dellagiovanna. Tigre are 11th on 12 points and Banfield 13th on 10. Banfield won the last two meetings 1–0 at the Florencio Sola, in March 2026 and in August 2025; Tigre had won the three before that.

River v Estudiantes de Río Cuarto (21:30 Buenos Aires time). Zona B, at the Monumental. River are ninth on 13 points with a match in hand, two behind Barracas in eighth; Estudiantes de Río Cuarto are bottom on six, have won one of their 11 matches and lost 2–1 at home to Racing. The only meeting on record is River's 2–0 win in Río Cuarto in March 2026. According to La Nación, Thiago Almada, released from the national squad with a muscle injury, is recovering at Leonardo Ponzio's River.

Sunday 11 October

San Lorenzo v Deportivo Riestra (14:45 Buenos Aires time). Zona A, at the Pedro Bidegain. Both sides have 11 points. San Lorenzo have scored four goals in 11 matches, the fewest in the Clausura, and lost 3–0 in Florencio Varela; Deportivo Riestra have not won in their last four matches. The last two meetings both ended 1–1, in the Copa Argentina in July and at the Guillermo Laza in March.

Platense v Argentinos Juniors (17:00 Buenos Aires time). The round's inter-zone match. Platense are 13th in Zona A on 10 points and drew 2–2 with Vélez in Liniers; Argentinos lead Zona B on 21, two clear of Belgrano, Rosario Central and Huracán, and beat Tigre 2–1. Argentinos won 1–0 in La Paternal in March 2026; in July 2025 it was 0–0 in Vicente López.

Rosario Central v Independiente Rivadavia (17:00 Buenos Aires time). Zona B, at the Gigante de Arroyito. Rosario Central are third on 19 points and drew 1–1 at Banfield; Independiente Rivadavia, fifth on 18, have a nine-goal scorer in A. Arce. Independiente Rivadavia won 2–0 in Mendoza in March 2026.

Racing v Belgrano (19:15 Buenos Aires time). Zona B, at the Presidente Perón in Avellaneda. Racing are 12th on 11 points, four off the top eight, and won 2–1 in Río Cuarto under the caretakers Sebastián Romero and Luciano Aued, who replaced Juan Pablo Vojvoda after he left by mutual agreement; Belgrano are second on 19, have conceded seven goals, the fewest in the tournament, and won the Córdoba derby 1–0 at the Kempes. Racing have won the last four meetings, the most recent 1–0 in the Copa Argentina in August.

Talleres v Independiente (21:30 Buenos Aires time). Zona A, at the Mario Alberto Kempes. Talleres are bottom of the zone on eight points after losing the derby; Independiente, eighth on 17, lost 4–1 at home to Instituto, and G. Ávalos has 11 goals. Talleres won the last two meetings, both 2–1 in Avellaneda.

Monday 12 October

Lanús v Vélez (16:00 Buenos Aires time). Zona A, at the Ciudad de Lanús stadium. Lanús are fifth on 17 points and drew 0–0 with Newell's in Rosario; Vélez, second on 21, are still unbeaten, and R. Martínez has 10 goals. Lanús won 1–0 in Liniers in March 2026; Vélez won 3–0 at home in August 2025.

Gimnasia de Mendoza v Newell's (18:30 Buenos Aires time). Zona A, at the Víctor Legrotaglie. Both sides have 17 points, as do Lanús and Independiente: four teams vying for fifth to eighth places. Gimnasia de Mendoza have a 12-goal scorer in A. Módica; Newell's have conceded eight goals in 11 matches. The only meeting on record is Newell's 1–0 win in Rosario in March 2026.

The zones before Friday

Points, with matches played in brackets. The top eight in each zone go through to the round of 16; the bar marks the cut-off.

• Zona A: Instituto 25 (11); Vélez 21 (11); Defensa y Justicia 21 (11); Boca 20 (11); Lanús 17 (11); Newell's 17 (11); Gimnasia de Mendoza 17 (11); Independiente 17 (11) | Estudiantes de La Plata 13 (11); Unión 13 (11); Deportivo Riestra 11 (11); San Lorenzo 11 (11); Platense 10 (11); Central Córdoba 9 (11); Talleres 8 (11).
• Zona B: Argentinos Juniors 21 (11); Belgrano 19 (11); Rosario Central 19 (11); Huracán 19 (11); Independiente Rivadavia 18 (11); Gimnasia de La Plata 18 (11); Sarmiento 16 (10); Barracas Central 15 (11) | River 13 (10); Atlético Tucumán 13 (11); Tigre 12 (11); Racing 11 (11); Banfield 10 (11); Aldosivi 8 (11); Estudiantes de Río Cuarto 6 (11).

Numbers to know

• Unión's C. Tarragona has 14 goals; Huracán's J. Caicedo and Sarmiento's J. Marabel have 13; Gimnasia de Mendoza's A. Módica has 12.
• Vélez are the only unbeaten side in the Clausura, with five wins and six draws.
• Belgrano have conceded seven goals in 11 matches, the fewest in the tournament; Instituto have conceded eight, as have Huracán and Newell's.
• San Lorenzo have scored four goals in 11 matches, and Estudiantes de Río Cuarto six.

Both zones in full, with kick-off times in Buenos Aires time, are on the Liga Profesional page.

Sources for the context: Racing Club, Racing Club, Lanús, La Nación, La Nación, La Nación, Infobae, Infobae.