Racing start the Clausura at home and they owe their fans a performance. The Apertura ended in disappointment — knocked out in the quarterfinals by Rosario Central after extra time. That stung. The squad is good enough to challenge for this title, but they need to start fast.
Here's the uncomfortable stat: Racing haven't beaten Gimnasia in a league match since 2021. Two 0-0 draws and a 0-1 home loss. At El Cilindro. Against a team that finished mid-table. That's the kind of record that gets mentioned in the pre-match huddle.
Gimnasia come in with nothing to lose. Nobody expects them to win in Avellaneda. They'll sit compact, frustrate the crowd, and wait for a set piece or a counter. That's exactly how they won here in 2024 — 0-1, sucker punch, three points stolen.
Racing's attack needs to show up. The Apertura was defined by too many sterile possession games where they passed sideways for 90 minutes without creating clear chances. New season, same problem unless Costas has fixed it in the break.
| Date | Venue | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 10, 2024 | El Cilindro | Racing Club 0–1 Gimnasia LP | Primera División (R10) |
| Feb 13, 2022 | El Cilindro | Racing Club 0–0 Gimnasia LP | Primera División (R1) |
| Jul 24, 2021 | El Cilindro | Racing Club 0–0 Gimnasia LP | Primera División (R2) |
Three consecutive league meetings without a Racing goal. Two 0-0s and a 0-1 loss. Racing have a Gimnasia problem.
L at Rosario Central 1–2 AET (Apertura QF)
W vs Belgrano 2–1 (Apertura R16)
D at Platense 0–0 (Apertura R15)
W vs Unión 3–1 (Apertura R14)
L at Independiente 0–2 (Apertura R13, Clásico)
D vs Tigre 1–1
L at River Plate 0–2
W vs Central Córdoba 2–0
D at San Lorenzo 0–0
L vs Huracán 0–1
Adrián Martínez leads Racing's line. The #9 scored 11 in the Apertura. If Racing create chances, he converts them. The question is whether they create any.
Racing Club: Gustavo Costas's 4-3-3 is built on wide play and crosses. Mura and Rojas push high. Almendra is the creative hub in midfield — when he's on, Racing flows. When he's marked out, they go sideways and the crowd gets restless. The key is tempo. If Racing move the ball quickly, Gimnasia's block can't shift fast enough. Slow it down, and the visitors get comfortable.
Gimnasia LP: Marcelo Méndez sets up in a flat 4-4-2 that becomes a 4-5-1 without the ball. They're organized. They don't take risks. Against bigger teams away from home, the plan is always the same: stay in the game for 70 minutes, then steal something. In 2024, they executed this perfectly at El Cilindro — one goal, parked the bus, three points.
The pattern to watch: Racing's right side (Mura + Salas) vs Gimnasia's left (Colazo + Mammini). Racing will try to overload that flank. If Colazo holds his position and Mammini tracks back, Racing get frustrated. If not, Salas gets 1v1 opportunities.
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