The 2021 Argentine Primera Nacional, also known as the Campeonato de Primera Nacional 2021, was the 37th season of the Primera Nacional, the second tier of Argentine football. The season began on 12 March 2021 and ended on 21 December 2021. Thirty-five teams competed in the league, thirty returning from the 2020 season, two teams promoted from Torneo Federal A and three from Primera B Metropolitana.
Tigre were the champions, winning their first Primera Nacional title by beating Barracas Central by a 1–0 score in the final played on 22 November 2021 and earned promotion to the Argentine Primera División.
Format The 35 teams were split into two zones, one of 17 teams and another one of 18 teams, where they played against the other teams in their group twice: once at home and once away, with one team in Zone A having a bye in each round for a total of 34 rounds. Both zone winners played a final match on neutral ground to decide the first promoted team to the Liga Profesional for the 2022 season, while the teams placed from second to fourth place in each zone played a knockout tournament (Torneo Reducido) for the second promotion berth along with the loser of the final between the zone winners, which joined the Reducido in the semi-finals. No teams were relegated to either Primera B Metropolitana or Torneo Federal A this season. The draw to decide the groups and fixture was held on 25 February 2021.
Club information Stadia and locations
ClubCityStadium Agropecuario Argentino Carlos Casares Ofelia Rosenzuaig All Boys Buenos Aires Islas Malvinas Almagro José Ingenieros Tres de Febrero Almirante Brown Isidro Casanova Fragata Presidente Sarmiento Alvarado Mar del Plata José María Minella Atlanta Buenos Aires Don León Kolbowsky Atlético de Rafaela Rafaela Nuevo Monumental Belgrano Córdoba Julio César Villagra Barracas Central Buenos Aires Claudio Chiqui Tapia Brown (A) Adrogué Lorenzo Arandilla Chacarita Juniors Villa Maipú Chacarita Juniors Defensores de Belgrano Buenos Aires Juan Pasquale Deportivo Maipú Maipú Omar Higinio Sperdutti Deportivo Morón Morón Nuevo Francisco Urbano Deportivo Riestra Buenos Aires Guillermo Laza Estudiantes (BA) Caseros Ciudad de Caseros Estudiantes (RC) Río Cuarto Antonio Candini Ferro Carril Oeste Buenos Aires Arquitecto Ricardo Etcheverry Gimnasia y Esgrima (J) Jujuy 23 de Agosto Gimnasia y Esgrima (M) Mendoza Víctor Legrotaglie Güemes Santiago del Estero Arturo Miranda Guillermo Brown Puerto Madryn Raúl Conti Independiente Rivadavia Mendoza Bautista Gargantini Instituto Córdoba Presidente Perón Mitre (SdE) Santiago del Estero Doctores José y Antonio Castiglione Nueva Chicago Buenos Aires Nueva Chicago Quilmes Quilmes Centenario San Martín (SJ) San Juan Ingeniero Hilario Sánchez Estadio del Bicentenario San Martín (T) Tucumán La Ciudadela San Telmo Dock Sud Osvaldo Baletto Santamarina Tandil Municipal Gral. San Martín Temperley Temperley Alfredo Beranger Tigre Victoria José Dellagiovanna Tristán Suárez Tristán Suárez 20 de Octubre Villa Dálmine Campana El Coliseo de Mitre y Puccini
Zone A Standings
Results
Zone B Standings
Results
Final The top-ranked teams of each zone played a match on neutral ground to decide the champions and the first team promoted to Primera División. The losing team advanced to the semi-finals of the Torneo Reducido.
GK 1 Gonzalo Marinelli DF 4 Víctor Cabrera DF 2 Fernando Alarcón DF 6 Abel Luciatti MF 11 Cristian Zabala MF 8 Lucas Blondel MF 5 Sebastián Prediger (c) MF 10 Lucas Menossi MF 3 Sebastián Prieto FW 7 Pablo Magnín FW 9 Ijiel Protti Substitutes: GK 12 Manuel Roffo DF 13 Francisco Oliver MF 14 Agustín Cardozo DF 15 Diego Sosa MF 16 Francisco Metilli FW 17 Gonzalo Flores FW 18 Milton Céliz DF 19 Martín Galmarini FW 20 Tomás FernándezManager: Diego Martínez GK 1 Maximiliano Gagliardo DF 4 Dylan Glaby DF 2 Bruno Cabrera DF 6 Fernando González DF 3 Gonzalo Paz MF 8 Juan Manuel Vázquez MF 5 Carlos Arce MF 10 Iván Tapia FW 11 Lucas Colitto FW 7 Fernando Valenzuela FW 9 Leonel Buter Substitutes: GK 12 Mariano Monllor DF 13 Andrés Imperiale MF 14 Jonathan Rivero DF 15 Daniel Martínez FW 16 Facundo Stable FW 17 Valentín Viola FW 18 Mauro Albertengo FW 19 Germán Estigarribia MF 20 Luciano RomeroManager: Rodolfo de Paoli
Torneo Reducido First round
First leg
Second leg
Semi-finals The semi-finals were contested by the three winners from the previous stage, as well as the Final losers Barracas Central. In this round, the four teams were seeded according to their performance in the first stage of the competition, with the best-ranked teams being paired against the worst ranked ones in double-legged ties. The two winners advanced to the final.
First leg
Second leg
Final The semi-final winners played a match on neutral ground to decide the second team promoted to Primera División.
GK 1 Rodrigo Saracho DF 4 Rafael Barrios DF 2 Pier Barrios DF 6 Agustín García Basso DF 3 Agustín Bindella MF 7 Julián Bonetto MF 5 Adrián Calello (c) MF 8 Facundo Silva MF 11 Camilo Machado FW 9 Mariano Pavone FW 10 Facundo Pons Substitutes: DF 14 Martín Ortega MF 15 Tomás Bottari MF 17 Emanuel Moreno FW 19 Federico Anselmo FW 20 Tomás Blanco Manager: Facundo Sava
GK 1 Maximiliano Gagliardo DF 4 Axel Bordón DF 2 Bruno Cabrera DF 6 Fernando González DF 3 Gonzalo Paz MF 7 Lucas Colitto MF 8 Dylan Glaby MF 5 Carlos Arce MF 11 Juan Manuel Vázquez MF 10 Iván Tapia (c) FW 9 Mauro Albertengo Substitutes: FW 17 Carlos Valenzuela FW 18 Germán Estigarribia FW 19 Leonel Buter Manager: Rodolfo De Paoli
Copa Argentina qualification Fifteen Primera Nacional teams qualified for the round of 32 of the 2021–22 Copa Argentina, which were the top seven teams of each zone at the end of the season and the best eighth-placed team, which was selected according to points earned per game, goal difference, and goals scored.
Ranking of eighth-placed teams
Season statistics Top scorers {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |- !Rank !Player !Club !Goals |- |1 |align="left"| Pablo Magnín |align="left"|Tigre |22 |- |2 |align="left"| Pablo Vegetti |align="left"|Belgrano |17 |- |3 |align="left"| Facundo Bruera |align="left"|Brown |15 |- |4 |align="left"| Brian Fernández |align="left"|Ferro Carril Oeste |14 |- |rowspan=2|5 |align="left"| Nicolás Servetto |align="left"|Almagro |rowspan=2|13 |- |align="left"| Claudio Bieler |align="left"|Atlético de Rafaela |- |7 |align="left"| Facundo Suárez |align="left"|Gimnasia y Esgrima (J) |12 |- |rowspan=2|8 |align="left"| Axel Rodríguez |align="left"|All Boys |rowspan=2|11 |- |align="left"| Felipe Cadenazzi |align="left"|Alvarado |- |rowspan=5|10 |align="left"| Santiago Vera |align="left"|Almirante Brown |rowspan=5|10 |- |align="left"| Ignacio Colombini |align="left"|Atlanta |- |align="left"| Tomás Molina |align="left"|Ferro Carril Oeste |- |align="left"| Diego Cardozo |align="left"|Independiente Rivadavia |- |align="left"| Ezequiel Cérica |align="left"|Mitre (SdE)
See also 2021 Argentine Primera División 2021 Torneo Federal A 2019–20 Copa Argentina
References
External links Ascenso del Interior Interior Futbolero Promiedos