Godoy Cruz vs Velez
Godoy Cruz did more than expected last Sunday when they visited River Plate, but their rival’s attacking power and some controversial refereeing decisions resulted in a 4-2 defeat. El Tomba remain with three points in the Torneo Clausura and are now just two points away from the relegation zone in the aggregate table, having failed to win any of their last six league matches (three draws and three losses). In fact, they have managed just one victory in their last ten home games in this competition, drawing seven and losing two. On Thursday, August 21, Godoy Cruz lost 1-0 at home Atlético Mineiro in the second leg of the Copa Sudamericana Round of 16, being knocked out of the competition.
Vélez Sarsfield earned a big boost last Saturday, defeating Independiente 2-1 at home despite manager Guillermo Barros Schelotto fielding a mostly rotated XI. El Fortín snapped a three-match winless run in the league (two draws and one loss) to reach eight points in the Torneo Clausura, moving four clear of the relegation zone in the aggregate table. On the downside, Vélez have collected just one point from their last nine available away from home in this competition. On Tuesday, August 19, they won 2-0 at home over Fortaleza EC of Brazil in the second leg of the Copa Libertadores round of 16, advancing to the quarterfinals. Emanuel Mammana and Agustín Bouzat have recovered from injury and are available.
Velez are in much better form and mood than Godoy Cruz who have been just terrible lately, they still couldn’t win in the league this season and they were eliminated from Copa Sudamericana after losing both games of the Round of 16.