In case of a tie at the end of ninety minutes, extra time will be played, and if the tie persists, the winner will be decided in a penalty shootout.
Here are the potential round of 16 matchups for the 2025 Clausura tournament:
Key 1 Central Córdoba (1st, Zone A) vs. Atlético Tucumán (8th, Zone B) Rosario Central (4th, B) vs. Defensa y Justicia (5th, A) Lanús (2nd, B) vs. Belgrano (7th, A) Boca (3rd, A) vs. San Lorenzo (6th, B)
Key 2 Deportivo Riestra (1st, B) vs. Tigre (8th, A) Unión de Santa Fe (4th, A) vs. River (5th, B) Estudiantes (2nd, A) vs. San Martín (SJ) (7th, B) Vélez (3rd, B) vs. Argentinos Juniors (6th, A)
The group stage of the Clausura tournament has entered its final stretch, and several potential round of 16 matches are already being discussed, with three matchdays left in the championship.
Boca's 3-1 victory this Monday over Barracas Central, a match postponed due to the passing of Miguel Ángel Russo, has put all teams on an equal footing in terms of games played.
With only nine points left to be played to definitively determine the playoff matchups, there is a possibility of witnessing a standout clash between Boca and San Lorenzo.
The eight qualifiers from Zone A would be Central Córdoba, Estudiantes, the Xeneize (Boca), Unión de Santa Fe, Defensa y Justicia, Argentinos Juniors, Belgrano, and Tigre, while in Group B they would be Deportivo Riestra, Rosario Central, Lanús, and Vélez, who have already secured their place in the round of 16, along with River, San Lorenzo, San Martín (SJ), and Atlético Tucumán.
However, it is worth noting that if any of the teams that qualify for the next stage of the Clausura tournament are relegated—San Martín (SJ) is second-to-last in both the averages table and the annual standings—said team will not be able to participate, and the ninth-place team in the zone will take its place.
Although home-field advantage will be defined just as in the Apertura tournament (the round of 16, quarterfinals, and semifinals will be played at the stadium of the higher-ranked team), there will be a difference compared to the competition held in the first half of the year.
