Rosario Central defeated Newell's Old Boys 2-0 in the Rosario derby for matchday 8 of the Liga Profesional, with goals from Ángel Di María and Enzo Copetti. The match took place at the Marcelo Bielsa Stadium in Rosario, where Central extended its streak of six consecutive wins against its rival. After the game, there were incidents between Newell's fans and police.
The Rosario derby for matchday 8 of the 2026 Apertura Tournament pitted Newell's Old Boys against Rosario Central at the Marcelo Bielsa Stadium in Rosario on March 1 at 5:00 PM Argentina time. The home team, coached by Frank Darío Kudelka, started with clear chances, including a shot by Walter Nuñez hitting the post, but failed to score. The first half ended 0-0, with Newell's holding 55% possession to Central's 45%, per match statistics.
In the second half, Rosario Central, led by Jorge Almirón, seized control. At the 5th minute of the second half (51st overall), Ángel Di María scored the 1-0 with a left-footed strike after a team buildup, despite playing with physical discomfort that forced him off at the 15th minute of the half (61st overall), replaced by Jaminton Campaz. Di María displayed emotion after his goal, later revealing he played injured. Then, at the 35th minute of the second half (81st overall), Enzo Copetti, who had come on for Alejo Veliz, made it 2-0 by pushing in a loose ball in the box.
Final statistics showed even 50% possession, with Central taking 9 shots on target to Newell's 6, and fouls at 24 for Newell's versus 7 for Central. Yellow cards: 2 for Newell's (Valentino Acuña and Luciano Herrera) and 3 for Central (Enzo Giménez, Franco Ibarra, and Emanuel Coronel). No reds were issued. This win places Rosario Central 4th in Zone B, while Newell's sits last in Zone A and 26th in the averages table. It marks Central's sixth straight victory over Newell's, with the hosts' last home win dating to 2008.
After the final whistle, incidents erupted near the stadium between Newell's fans and police. Central's next match is against Tigre on March 6 at the Gigante de Arroyito, and Newell's will face Vélez the same day at the José Amalfitani.
