Lanus vs Atletico Tucuman
Lanús let a big opportunity slip away last weekend, drawing 1-1 on the road against relegation-threatened San Martín SJ after conceding the equalizer in the 90th minute. El Granate have already secured a playoff berth, sitting on 27 points in Group B after losing just one of their last eight matches in this competition (five wins and two draws). However, they still need to seal their spot in next year’s Copa Sudamericana via the aggregate table: they must win and wait for one favorable result among Barracas Central, Tigre and San Lorenzo (though they would qualify for the Libertadores if they win this year’s Sudamericana final). At home, Lanús have taken 16 of the last 18 points available in the Torneo Clausura.
Atlético Tucumán stopped the bleeding just in time. With a solid performance, the team led on an interim basis by Hugo Colace defeated Godoy Cruz 2-1 at home last Sunday, ending a run of three consecutive defeats and securing their place in the top flight. Now, El Decano are aiming higher: with 18 points in the Torneo Clausura, they still have a chance of reaching the playoffs. They must win and wait for three more favorable results among Talleres, San Martín SJ, Sarmiento and Gimnasia LP. Atlético have gone 14 away matches without a win, with two draws and 12 losses in that span.
Atletico must win to have a chance of reaching the playoffs, Lanus are already in the top 4 and now they need a good result to finish as high as possible and potentially securing home advantage at least in the next two rounds, so I expect an open game between teams that won’t care about the draw and will take risks sooner than later.