The LPF has already laid out the competition’s opening date plan, with the first round set to run from Thursday the 17th through Monday the 20th. This schedule kicks off the next phase of Argentine top flight football, signaling a shift from the earlier league format into a new cadence that will shape the rest of the season for clubs and fans alike.
Following a three week pause after the Professional League season wrapped up, River Plate secured an early triumph and the Professional League Cup 2023 gets underway. This cup introduces a two-zone format featuring 14 teams and carries high stakes, including two relegation slots and the allocation of places in international competitions. The competition structure is designed to keep the title chase lively while ensuring both the fight against relegation and the path to continental play remain visible throughout the second half of the season.
On the opening day, the league will focus on the involvement of the remaining four teams still contending in the Copa Libertadores and the Copa Sudamericana. Estudiantes will inaugurate the date on Thursday, with Racing, Boca Juniors and Defensa y Justicia slated to play on Friday. River Plate, the champion of the longer, traditional league format, is scheduled to make its debut on Sunday evening at La Paternal, promising a memorable start to the cup competition for the defending champions.
The schedule for date 1 of the Professional League Cup has been outlined to accommodate the flow of continental commitments and domestic fixtures, ensuring fans can follow a clear path from kickoff to the crucial midseason clashes that will influence relegation battles and continental qualification spots. Throughout the opening round, clubs will balance cup ambitions with league responsibilities, creating a dynamic that keeps every match meaningful as teams battle for early momentum and strategic positioning in the standings.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 17
FRIDAY, AUGUST 18
SATURDAY, AUGUST 19
SUNDAY, AUGUST 20
MONDAY, AUGUST 21
Notes: The arrangement reflects a concerted effort to align domestic league action with ongoing continental campaigns, a format many fans in North America and across Canada follow closely as clubs from Argentina contend for trophies and foreign competition slots. The pacing of the matches allows clubs to assess early form, adjust tactics, and set the tone for the months ahead while media outlets provide ongoing coverage and analysis for supporters who follow every twist and turn of this evolving season, as noted by Goal.