newell’s Suffer Defeat in 2026 Season Opener Against Talleres de Córdoba
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Newell’s Old Boys fell to a 2-1 defeat against Talleres de Córdoba on Friday, January 24, 2026, at the Mario Kempes stadium, marking a challenging start to the 2026 Apertura tournament for the newly formed managerial duo of Sergio Gomez and Favio Orsi. Despite a notable overhaul of the squad with ten new additions, the team struggled to find its footing in a match that highlighted both promise and areas for improvement.
A Rocky Debut for the Orsi-Gómez era
The match represented the first competitive fixture for Gomez and Orsi since leading Platense to a championship title in 2025. While acknowledging the early stages of this new cycle, the debut was far from ideal. Ronaldo Martínez and Valentín Depietri secured the victory for Carlos Tévez’s Talleres, while a late goal from Walter Núñez, one of Newell’s reinforcements, offered a glimmer of hope for leprosy.
Early Chances and Córdoba’s Response
Newell’s created the first significant scoring prospect around the 20th minute, with Valentino Acuña driving forward and Luciano Herrera delivering a cross that found Michael Hoyos. Hoyos then passed to Facundo Guch, but the young player’s left-footed shot was blocked by goalkeeper guido Herrera.This early pressure appeared to galvanize Talleres, who responded with a mid-range shot from Giovanni Baroni that was cleanly saved by Gabriel Arias. talleres’ possession,Newell’s struggled to create consistent threats. Talleres extended their lead with a counter-attacking goal finished by Valentín Depietri.
Newell’s managed a late consolation goal when Cóccaro fought for possession in the area and laid the ball off for Walter Núñez to score.Despite the late push, a miraculous equalizer proved elusive.
A Renewed Project Under New Leadership
Newell’s entered this match amidst a significant period of renewal, initiated by Ignacio Boero’s election victory in December 2025. Roberto Sensini was appointed as sports manager, and the Orsi-Gómez duo were brought in to lead the team. The club has undergone a considerable squad overhaul, bringing in goalkeeper Gabriel Arias (free from Racing), defenders Oscar Salomón (from Boca), Nicolás goitea (loan from Mitre), Bruno Cabrera (from Coquimbo of Chile), and Gabriel Risso Patrón (free); midfielder Rodrigo Herrera (from Defense and Justice); and forwards Franco García (free), michael Hoyos (free from Independiente del Valle), Matías Cóccaro (montreal), and Walter Núñez. The return of forward Juan Ignacio Ramírez from a loan spell at Sport Recife and the acquisition of winger Luciano Herrera further bolstered the squad.
Despite the opening day setback, the club remains focused on building a competitive team for the future.
