Huracán 2026

By Mateo Ledesma

Gabriel Batistuta’s second season at Huracán was never going to be about romance. That was last year. This one was about proof, about whether an idea could survive scrutiny, repetition and resistance. By the time the curtain finally fell, Huracán had not added silverware, but they had added something arguably more important: definition. What follows is not the story of a failed campaign, nor a triumphant one, but of a club learning exactly who it is and who it is not yet ready to be.

---

Clausura Consistency: So Close, So Familiar

Huracán closed the Torneo Clausura in second place, edged only on goal difference by Argentinos Juniors (+17 to Huracán’s +16). The raw record, 11 wins, 2 draws, 3 defeats, was that of a serious side. It mirrored Batistuta’s growing control over his group and confirmed that last season’s Copa Sudamericana run was not a statistical anomaly.

Across the full Liga Profesional season, Huracán ranked as the fifth-best team in Argentina, finishing with:

• 18 wins
• 9 draws
• 5 defeats
• Goal difference: +24

On the surface, this represents progress. Seven clean sheets, more than double the three recorded during the Apertura, suggest a side learning restraint. But a deeper examination complicates that narrative.

---

Defence by Possession: Evolution or Evasion?

Batistuta has often spoken about “defending with the ball.” The numbers suggest he has not abandoned this belief, he has intensified it.

Despite the increase in clean sheets, Huracán posted an expected goals against (xGA) of 1.3 per game, the seventh highest in the division. They continued to allow the highest number of final-third passes per game, a glaring vulnerability.

Yet this risk is offset by something else entirely: dominance. Huracán lead the league in possession won per game, suffocating opponents through relentless counter-pressing and territorial control.

In attack, they are peerless:

• Highest dribbles per game
• Best shots-on-target percentage
• Most shots per game
• Highest non-penalty xG per 90
• Most goals per game
• Most fouls drawn per game
• Elite pass and cross completion

The conclusion is unavoidable: Batistuta has not solved Huracán’s defensive issues, he has chosen to overwhelm them. By monopolising the ball and attacking in waves, Huracán aim to deny opponents the opportunity to exploit their structural weaknesses.

It is a gamble. It is also unmistakably Batistuta.

---

Playoffs: Bravery Meets Reality

Huracán’s Clausura playoff campaign began with promise. A composed home win over San Lorenzo, sealed by a Matko Miljevic goal, earned them a showdown with the benchmark of Argentine football.

River Plate.

By the 38th minute, it looked over. A Maximiliano Salas double had Huracán 2–0 down, shell-shocked, and heading toward another limp elimination. At half-time, the body language was damning.

What followed was one of Batistuta’s boldest decisions yet.

He introduced Tahiel Peralta and Agustín Moreyra, teenagers, to partner Chiquichano in attack. The message was unmistakable: fearlessness over safety.

Miljevic pulled one back on 62 minutes. Then, as the clock ticked into stoppage time, magic arrived. In the 91st minute, Moreyra pounced on a loose pass, glided past his defender and curled the ball into the top corner.

2–2. Pandemonium.

Penalties followed. River missed their first. Huracán scored. Then Sebastián Ramírez missed. River did not. In sudden death, Lucas Carrizo struck the post.

River advanced. Huracán were out.

Again.

---

A Final Too Far: Copa Argentina Heartbreak

In one of the most bewildering scheduling decisions of the season, Huracán were asked to contest the Copa Argentina AXION Energy final just 48 hours later.

The road there had been demanding:

• Sacachispas (1–0)
• Independiente Rivadavia (4–2)
• Platense (2–0)
• Central Córdoba (SDE) (1–1, won on penalties)
• Racing Club (2–1)

The final against Vélez arrived at the worst possible moment. Physically drained. Emotionally hollow.

Vélez struck early, scoring in the 12th minute. Huracán chased the game with what little energy remained, but the spark was gone. In the 94th minute, Vélez sealed it.

2–0. Final lost.

---

Conclusion: A Season That Asked Hard Questions

So how should Batistuta’s second season be judged?

Huracán were one of Argentina’s best teams over the calendar year. They played the most aggressive, expressive football in the league. They integrated youth, challenged giants, and never abandoned their identity, even when it hurt them.

Yet the season also exposed limits. In knockout football, moments of hesitation and structural fragility persist. Against elite opponents, emotional surges are not always enough. And while Batistuta’s commitment to attacking supremacy is admirable, the data suggests it may be masking problems rather than resolving them.

Now comes the most important phase.

The transfer embargo is days from ending. For the first time, this project will be judged not just on ideas, but on execution. Can Daniel Vega deliver the profiles Batistuta needs? Can this philosophy evolve without losing its soul?

Huracán stand on the edge of something. Whether it is a plateau or a launchpad, will define the next chapter.