Ferro Carril Oeste stands within touching distance of the Primera Nacional promotion final, holding a five-point lead in Zona A as Argentina’s lower-tier divisions reach their season-ending run-in, Infobae reported. With two rounds remaining in the regular phase, the historic Buenos Aires club seeks a return to the top flight of Argentine football after an absence stretching past 26 years.
The race across Argentina’s second division features parallel battles for automatic promotion, playoff qualification through the Reducido mini-tournament, and the fight to avoid relegation. While Ferro commands the summit of Zona A, the landscape across the rest of the divisions reveals tight margins, mathematical permutations, and decisive fixtures scheduled for the coming weeks.
Ferro Carril Oeste Leads Zona A Promotion Chase
Ferro sits atop Zona A with 65 points, holding a five-point cushion over second-place Godoy Cruz, which has 60 points. Infobae noted that Ferro can secure a spot in the promotion final even with a defeat in their upcoming fixtures, as they prepare to host Chaco For Ever on Saturday before visiting Acassuso the following weekend. The promotion final itself is scheduled to be played as a single match on the weekend of November 7.
🗓️⚽️ ¡FIXTURE 2026!➡️ Ya está confirmado el fixture del torneo de la Primera Nacional para el próximo año.🏟️🐎 Ferro jugará en la Zona A y la primera fecha será 🆚 San Telmo, de visitante, el fin de semana del 7 de febrero. 💚👊🏼 ¡Vamos, Ferro, por todo! pic.twitter.com/r6cewD5s6H
In Zona B, the contest for the top spot involves a wider group of contenders led by Tristán Suárez with 62 points, followed by Temperley on 60, and Gimnasia de Jujuy alongside Atlanta, both with 58 points. A crucial fixture awaits in the 35th round when Atlanta travels to face Gimnasia de Jujuy, a head-to-head encounter that guarantees one of the two contenders will drop out of the direct promotion race.
Reducido Playoff Qualification Shapes Up in Both Zones
The battle for second-tier playoff berths is largely settled in Zona A. Deportivo Morón with 58 points, Deportivo Madryn and Colón de Santa Fe both with 54, Ciudad de Bolívar with 51, Almirante Brown with 48, and Estudiantes de Buenos Aires have secured their places in the Reducido, alongside whichever side misses out between Ferro and Godoy Cruz.
Zona B features a denser cluster fighting for postseason survival. Behind the top four frontrunners, Gimnasia y Tiro de Salta holds 52 points, Midland has 51, Colegiales sits on 50, and Deportivo Maipú has 48 in the provisional playoff slots. San Martín de San Juan with 47 points, San Martín de Tucumán with 46, and Atlético de Rafaela with 45 retain mathematical chances with time running out.
Relegation Battles and Regulation Rules
At the foot of the Zona B standings, Güemes de Santiago del Estero has already been relegated to the Federal A division. The fight to avoid joining them involves several notable clubs, including Nueva Chicago and Chacarita Juniors, both on 36 points, Patronato de Paraná with 37, Quilmes with 39, and Agropecuario with 40. The schedule pits Nueva Chicago against Chacarita Juniors in the final round of the regular season.
In Zona B’s lower reaches, San Miguel occupies last place with 32 points, trailed closely by Acassuso on 33, All Boys on 35, Central Norte de Salta on 37, and both San Telmo and Defensor de Belgrano on 38 points. Tournament regulations stipulate that any points ties at the conclusion of the phase will be resolved via a single playoff match on a neutral ground, complete with extra time and penalty shootouts if necessary.
Excursionistas Set the Pace in Primera B
In the Primera B division, Excursionistas leads the standings with 78 points, holding a five-point advantage with six points left to play over the final two fixtures. Excursionistas hosted Sportivo Italiano on Saturday, October 24, starting at 15:00 local time, before a closing match away against Deportivo Camioneros. Arsenal de Sarandí sits second with 73 points, retaining a mathematical path to the title as they prepare to face Camioneros and subsequently visit Deportivo Merlo.
The Reducido bracket for the second promotion spot in Primera B is nearly complete, with Sportivo Italiano holding 69 points, Talleres de Remedios de Escalada with 68, Camioneros with 67, Villa Dálmine with 65, Deportivo Armenio with 62, and Real Pilar with 62 already qualified. Comunicaciones occupies the final qualification spot with 57 points, ahead of Laferrere with 55 and San Martín de Burzaco with 51, with a direct clash between Laferrere and Comunicaciones set to settle the remaining places.
At the bottom of Primera B, Club Atlético Ituzaingó confirmed its relegation to Primera C some weeks ago with 17 points. UAI Urquiza holds 39 points in the most precarious position, pursued by Defensores Unidos de Zárate on 42 and Brown de Adrogué on 43, while Argentino de Quilmes, Argentino de Merlo, Flandria, and Liniers all sit ahead.
Torneo Federal A and Regional Finals
San Martín de Formosa and Cipolletti de Río Negro prepared to contest a single-leg playoff final for a Primera B Nacional promotion spot on Sunday, October 25, at 16:00 local time at the Estadio Juan Pablo Francia in San Francisco, Córdoba. Meanwhile, in the Primera C promotion finals, Berazategui leads Zona A with 51 points and Luján leads Zona B with 64 points ahead of their decisive second-leg encounter following a scoreless draw in the opening fixture.
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