Racing Club de Avellaneda - Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata live - Football

Racing Club de Avellaneda face Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata on Friday, 24 July 2026 at 23:00 BST, opening matchday 1 of the 2026 Torneo Clausura at the Estadio Presidente Perón in Avellaneda, Buenos Aires. Both sides arrive with identical overall form - three wins, one draw and one defeat across their last five matches - but Gimnasia hold a striking edge in the head-to-head, having gone unbeaten in their last five meetings with Racing (four wins, one draw). New Racing coach Juan Pablo Vojvoda made an instant impression with a 4-1 demolition of Defensa y Justicia in the Copa Argentina on his debut on 16 July, raising hopes of a genuine second-half revival for the Academía.

Match Info: Racing Club de Avellaneda vs Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata

The clash between Racing Club de Avellaneda and Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata takes place on Friday, 24 July 2026 at 23:00 BST (midnight local time in Buenos Aires) at the Estadio Presidente Perón - widely known as the Cilindro de Avellaneda - and serves as a matchday 1 fixture of the 2026 Liga Profesional de Fútbol Torneo Clausura in Argentina.

Where to Watch Racing Club de Avellaneda vs Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata?

Viewers in the United Kingdom and across most of the world can catch this Liga Profesional opener via AFA Play, the official streaming platform that provides global online access to Argentine top-flight football. It is the most accessible option for football fans outside the Americas and Spain who want to watch the action live.

In Argentina, ESPN Premium broadcasts the match on cable television, while Disney+ streams it online. US audiences have the widest choice: Fanatiz USA, FOX One, Fubo TV and VIX all carry the match online, while Fox Deportes and TyC Sports Internacional cover it on traditional television. Fans in Puerto Rico can tune in through VIX online or TyC Sports Internacional on TV.

Spanish viewers are served by Movistar+ (both online and on TV) as well as the Vamos channel on cable. TyC Sports Internacional covers the game across the rest of Latin America - including Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Colombia, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela - making it the go-to broadcast partner for the continent.

Match between Racing Club de Avellaneda and Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata - Preview

This meeting of Racing Club and Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata is a compelling curtain-raiser to the 2026 Torneo Clausura: the Academía are desperate to make a strong home statement, while the visitors arrive as the side that has dominated this fixture in recent years.

Racing endured a deeply disappointing first half of 2026, crashing out of the Copa Sudamericana at the group stage and struggling for consistency in the Liga Profesional. The arrival of Juan Pablo Vojvoda as head coach brought an immediate shot of energy: his debut in charge - a convincing 4-1 Copa Argentina victory over Defensa y Justicia on 16 July - served as an encouraging sign that the Academía may be turning a corner. With the 2026 Clausura and Copa Argentina identified as the season's primary objectives, Racing's home opener against Gimnasia carries extra weight as an early statement of intent.

Gimnasia, meanwhile, head into the new campaign in good shape. El Lobo concluded the Apertura by winning two of their three Liga Profesional fixtures - beating Argentinos Juniors 2-0 at home on 3 May and Vélez Sarsfield 1-0 away on 11 May - before a 0-2 loss at River Plate. They then travelled to Russia for a pre-season tour, drawing 1-1 with Zenit at the Gazprom Arena and defeating Dinamo Makhachkala 3-1. The unbeaten H2H run gives the visitors confidence heading into this Cilindro showdown.

Head-to-Head: Racing Club de Avellaneda vs Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata

The recent head-to-head record makes for uncomfortable reading for Racing fans: Gimnasia have not lost to the Academía in their last five meetings, claiming four victories and a draw while outscoring their opponents 9 goals to 3 across those four wins. The balance of power in this fixture has shifted decisively towards El Lobo in recent years.

Here are the five most recent meetings between the two sides:

• 24 January 2026 - Liga Profesional Argentina - Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata 2-1 Racing Club
• 10 August 2024 - Liga Profesional Argentina - Racing Club 0-1 Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata
• 8 April 2023 - Liga Profesional Argentina - Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata 3-1 Racing Club
• 20 June 2022 - Liga Profesional Argentina - Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata 3-1 Racing Club
• 13 February 2022 - Liga Profesional Argentina - Racing Club 0-0 Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata

Racing Club de Avellaneda - Recent Form

Racing enter the 2026 Clausura on the back of a morale-boosting 4-1 Copa Argentina win over Defensa y Justicia - a result made all the more significant by the fact that it was Juan Pablo Vojvoda's first match as head coach of the Academía on 16 July.

Earlier in the year, Racing's form was patchy. In the Copa Sudamericana group stage, they beat Independiente Petrolero 2-0 at home on 27 May but could only draw 2-2 with Caracas FC, and had previously been beaten 1-2 by Botafogo. In the Liga Profesional Apertura, a sharp away win 1-0 over Estudiantes on 10 May was followed by a 1-2 defeat at Rosario Central three days later. Across their five most recent matches in all competitions, Racing have recorded 3 wins, 1 draw and 1 defeat.

The appointment of Vojvoda and the confidence from that Copa Argentina rout give Racing a fresh platform. The Cilindro faithful will be hoping the new coach can deliver the consistent performances the Apertura failed to provide, starting with this Clausura opener against a Gimnasia side that has been a recurring thorn in Racing's side.

Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata - Recent Form

Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata head into the Clausura 2026 with solid momentum: three wins, one draw and one defeat across their last five matches, including a positive pre-season tour that saw El Lobo compete in Russia against Zenit and Dinamo Makhachkala.

In the Liga Profesional Apertura, Gimnasia closed out with two important victories - a 2-0 home win against Argentinos Juniors on 3 May and a disciplined 1-0 away victory over Vélez Sarsfield on 11 May - before falling 0-2 to River Plate on 14 May, a defeat that came on the road against one of the league's heavyweights. The decision to tour Russia paid dividends in terms of match sharpness: a 1-1 draw at the Gazprom Arena against Zenit on 5 July, followed by a 3-1 win over Dinamo Makhachkala on 7 July, suggests the squad arrives in Avellaneda in good physical condition.

Add to that an unbeaten run of five consecutive matches against Racing in the Liga Profesional, and Gimnasia travel to the Cilindro with the psychological advantage firmly on their side.

Facts and Statistics

Racing Club de Avellaneda and Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata have met 29 times since 2004, building a rivalry defined by contested home advantages and unpredictable scorelines. In the broader historical ledger, Racing have the edge with 12 wins to Gimnasia's 10 and 7 draws - yet the recent trend has flipped that advantage firmly in favour of El Lobo.

• Gimnasia are unbeaten in their last 5 head-to-head matches against Racing (4 wins, 1 draw) - their best such run in this fixture since 2004.
• Across the 29 H2H matches on record since 2004, Racing have won 12, Gimnasia 10, and 7 have ended in draws.
• In their last 4 victories over Racing, Gimnasia scored 9 goals and conceded just 3.
• Juan Pablo Vojvoda began his tenure as Racing head coach with a 4-1 Copa Argentina win over Defensa y Justicia on 16 July 2026 - his first competitive match in charge.
• The match is played at Estadio Presidente Perón (Cilindro de Avellaneda), which has a capacity of over 51,000 spectators.