Monday's victory of Argentinos Juniors over Belgrano 1-0 pushed River Plate to the fourth position in the annual table of the Professional Football League, outside the qualifying spots for the 2026 Copa Libertadores with one round left. Although the 'millionaire' team had secured a significant points cushion from the first half of the season, their recent poor run of six defeats in their last seven matches, which included a special 2-0 loss in the Superclásico to Boca Juniors, caused the team led by Marcelo Gallardo to drop to the Copa Sudamericana positions. Nevertheless, the Núñez-based side still has a chance to qualify for the continent's most prestigious tournament, although it depends on a series of favorable results. The first step is to achieve a victory against Vélez Sarsfield at the José Amalfitani stadium and wait for the 'Bicho' (Argentinos Juniors) to lose or draw against Estudiantes de La Plata as a visitor to secure a playoff spot. If the latter happens, the 'Banda' (River Plate) must surpass them in goal difference. However, if they suffer a defeat against the Fortín (Vélez) or fail to finish among the top three in the overall classification, they will have to wait for the champion of the local tournament to be decided. If Rosario Central (1st), Boca Juniors (2nd), or currently Argentinos Juniors (3rd) win the title, they will free up an extra spot, and the 'Millionaire' will advance directly to the group stage, provided they finish in fourth place. On the other hand, a loss to the Liniers-based club, accompanied by victories by Deportivo Riestra, Racing, or San Lorenzo, will prevent the team led by 'Muñeco' (Gallardo) from competing in the next edition of the Copa Libertadores.
