Velez Sarsfield vs River Plate

Velez Sarsfield and River Plate are set to trade tackles at the Estadio José Amalfitani in a handsomely-looking Liga Professional showdown.

Winless in eight straight Liga Professional fixtures (D5, L3) since a 4-0 demolition of Central Cordoba in late March, Velez have alternated between drawing (4) and losing (3) in their last seven outings, failing to find the net in five. Coming into this round, they’ve ominously drawn a blank in three consecutive league games, while their last three home outings have all ended 0-0, highlighting the potential for a low-scoring affair. It may not necessarily be the case, though, considering their last two top-flight meetings with River Plate on home soil have seen over 2.5 goals and both teams scoring (D1, L1). ‘El Fortin’ must pay attention to their second-half performances, as 71% of their home league goals conceded this season have come beyond halftime (5/7).

Meanwhile, visiting River Plate fought back from a second-half deficit to hold Peruvian heavyweights Sporting Cristal to a 1-1 away draw in Copa Libertadores last time out. Their four previous matches had fluctuated between winning victories (2) and defeats (2), flagging consistency as the team’s leading problem. Speaking of River’s form woes, they’ve not won on the road four times on the bounce heading into this encounter (D2, L2), scoring precisely once on each occasion. Therefore, conceding the opening goal could prove a massive stumbling block to the visitors’ hopes of returning to winning ways, especially as they’ve gone winless in all three away league games after falling behind this season (D1, L2).