Union vs Estudiantes
Unión Santa Fe produced another poor performance on Monday night and managed only a 1-1 draw away at Deportivo Riestra, who are still fighting to avoid relegation, thanks to a goal from Tobías Rubio in the 57th minute. Therefore, El Tatengue are now five Clausura matches without a win, with one draw and four defeats. They have 14 points in Group A, five behind eighth-placed Independiente. In fact, Leonardo Madelón’s men sit 19th in the annual table, well out of contention for any major objective. Estudiantes continue to pay a heavy price for their congested schedule and squad rotation in the league. Last weekend, fielding an entirely alternative lineup, they took the lead but eventually suffered a dramatic 2-1 home defeat to San Lorenzo, conceding in the fifth minute of stoppage time. El Pincha have won just one of their last four Clausura matches, drawing one and losing two. They have 14 points in Group A, five points below the playoff places, and have also dropped out of the Copa Sudamericana qualifying spots in the annual table, sitting two points behind Lanús, who currently occupy the final qualifying position. Away, Estudiantes have collected just one point from a possible 18 in the Clausura. Before their next league match, they won on penalties after a scoreless draw away at CR Flamengo on Thursday, October 22, for the second leg of the Copa Libertadores semifinals. This is the last chance for both teams to get close to a playoff spot: they are 5 points behind the last qualifying position with 3 games left so only a win is useful. Estudiantes comes in great mood after advancing mideeek to the Copa Libertadores final, Union has one of the worst defenses of the league with 22 goals conceded, so I expect an open game with both teams trying to take the 3 points.