The Argentine top flight comes to beIN SPORTS
Enjoy even more domestic football from South America, with coverage from every round of the Argentine Primera Division on beIN SPORTS.
Tune into beIN SPORTS 3 tomorrow morning for a tantalising double header, with Banfield taking on Boca Juniors from 9.40am (AEDT), before River Plate hosts Union from 11.30am.
Sergio Aguero, Angel Di Maria and Gonzalo Higuain are just some of the superstars to have graced the 30-man league, which hosts some of the fiercest derbies in world football.
We’ll confirm more fixtures as they become available. But for now, here’s a closer look at some of these rivalries and the breathtaking atmospheres they generate.
The biggest rivalries in Argentina
The Argentine Primera needs a designated derby round in its season to accomodate the league’s famous rivalries, which include:
Superclasico - Boca Juniors v River Plate
Undoubtedly the biggest rivalry in Argentina (if not the world), the Superclasico features Buenos Aires giants BOCA Juniors and River Plate, who also happen to be the two most popular clubs in Argentina.
Just in case you needed further convincing about the magnitude of this derby..
Avellaneda derby – Independiente v Racing
Independiente and Racing are the third and fourth most popular clubs in Argentina with a trophy laden history. Add in the fact their stadiums were built 200 metres apart, and you get a never-ending struggle for supremacy between these old foes in Avellaneda.
Rosario derby - Rosario Central v Newell’s Old Boys
Lionel Messi’s boyhood club Newell’s Old Boys takes on Rosario Central in one of the biggest derbies outside of Buenos Aires.
The rivalry between these two teams forms the origin of their nicknames - after Rosario Central once refused to play in a charity match for Leprosy, the club became ‘the Scoundrels.’ Instead, its rival Newell’s Old Boys stepped in and has since been dubbed Los Leprosos (The Lepers).
Platense derby – Estudiantes de La Plata v Gimnasia
When it comes to hatred between two clubs, it doesn’t get any bigger than this.
To put their animosity in perspective, Gimnasia fans were once accused of making death threats to their own team in a bid to lose to Boca Juniors, which would prevent Estudiantes clinching the league title.
Other derbies:
- Santa Fe Derby - Colón v Unión
- Tucuman Derby – San Martin v Club Atletico Tucuman
- Cordoba Derby – Belgrano v Talleres
- San Lorenzo v Huracán
How the league works.
Each of the 30 teams face off once in a single round-robin style tournament, with a week of derbies played in round 24.
