According to reports from Diario El Día, Olé, and Vavel, manager Ariel Pereyra’s side returns to the venue—colloquially known as El Bosque—aiming to secure sole possession of the group lead following a strong away victory at Rosario Central’s Gigante de Arroyito.
The match kicks off with significant table implications, as both Gimnasia and Tigre enter the fixture level in the Zona B table. For Ariel Pereyra’s squad, the objective is to build upon the tactical framework that yielded success in Rosario, keeping the core system intact while welcoming back key roster pieces. Coverage from Infocielo notes that Pereyra has chosen to replicate the tactical shape that dismantled Central, betting on continuity to push El Lobo into outright command of the group.
Team selection ahead of the fixture brings notable boosts for the hosts. Gimnasia confirmed the returns of forward Marcelo “Chelo” Torres and midfielder Alexis Steimbach to the matchday squad, replacing Lucas Lamella and Santiago Villarreal, according to Diario El Día and Vavel. Pereyra’s likely starting XI features Nelson Insfrán in goal; a backline of Bautista Barros Schelotto, Germán Conti, Yonathan Martínez, and Rodrigo Silva Torrejón; a midfield trio of Alan Lescano or standard anchors including Ignacio Miramón, Pablo Zalazar, and Nacho Fernández alongside Nicolás Barros Schelotto; with Rodrigo Auzmendi leading the line alongside either Franco Janson or Chelo Torres.
Meanwhile, visiting Tigre arrives in La Plata under turbulent circumstances following a heavy player exodus and injury crisis. Manager Diego Dabove must navigate the eighth round without several foundational members of his squad, as detailed by Vavel. Within the last 24 hours before the match, Tigre lost midfielder Jalil Elías, who exercised a contract rescission clause after receiving a superior salary offer—reportedly a higher wage against his previous earnings in Tigre—by settling an outstanding installment of a value estimated for the transfer of Mauro Méndez. Elías spent just over a year at El Matador amid underwhelming performances and friction with supporters.
Additional roster depletion surrounds forward Alfio Oviedo. According to reports from Vavel, Oviedo’s entourage indicated the player is evaluating foreign offers or a return to Paraguay, factoring in that Paraguayan national team manager Gustavo Alfaro reportedly preserved Oviedo from the upcoming international break. Tigre also misses injured players Gonzalo Martínez, Joaquín Laso, Ramón Arias, Nicolás Dubersarsky, and Simón Rivero. To patch the gaps, Dabove turned to youth prospects Alan Lezcano and Marco Rivas, while welcoming back Chilean lateral Guillermo Soto and third-choice goalkeeper Luka Fuster.
Although Tigre recently secured the transfer of young striker Jerónimo Dómina from Unión de Santa Fe, the incoming forward was left out of the traveling squad to La Plata. Dabove elected to give Dómina a sustained block of training sessions to acclimatize with the group before throwing him into competitive action. Tigre’s projected lineup features Zenobio in goal; Moreno, Barrionuevo, Villalba, and Banegas across the defense; Leyes, González, Saralegui, and López in midfield; with Méndez and Russo spearheading the attack.
The fixture is scheduled to be broadcast live on TNT Sports Premium, with referee Daniel Zamora officiating the action at the historic venue in La Plata. As both sides prepare for the opening whistle, fans can follow live minute-by-minute updates across major Argentine sports desks including TN and Olé.
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