Argentinos Jrs vs Sarmiento
After an excellent 2025 season, Argentinos Juniors reached the quarter-finals of the Torneo Clausura, where they lost 1-0 away to Boca Juniors, ending a three-match winning streak in league play. They were also runners-up in the Copa Argentina and finished third in the annual standings, securing qualification for the 2026 Copa Libertadores. Looking ahead, the club will aim to win a title for the first time in 16 years. At home, Argentinos are strong, having gone 12 league matches unbeaten (nine wins and three draws). In the transfer market, head coach Nicolás Diez added quality with arrivals such as Enzo Pérez (from River Plate), Gino Infantino (from Fiorentina) and goalkeeper Brayan Cortés (from Colo Colo), among others, while no key departures have been recorded. In preseason, Argentinos defeated Sacachispas 4-0 and drew 0-0 with Vélez Sarsfield, both at home. They lost on penalties in their Copa Argentina debut after a 1-1 draw on Wednesday 21 against Ferrocarril Midland. Sarmiento put together a solid Torneo Clausura in 2025 and narrowly missed out on the playoffs, as a 1-1 draw away to San Lorenzo in the final match left them just short of the top eight. Over their last five league games, they recorded one win, two draws and two defeats, finishing 23rd in the annual table. Their focus in 2026 will be survival, as they start the season at the bottom of the relegation averages table (excluding newly promoted sides). Away from home, Sarmiento showed resilience late in the season, losing just once in their last five league matches on the road (two wins and two draws). The transfer window brought reinforcements, including goalkeeper Javier Burrai (from Talleres), winger Cristian Zabala (from Independiente del Valle), striker Diego Churín (from Universitario de Deportes) and forward Junior Marabel (from Palestino). On the other hand, Iván Morales and Alex Vigo were among the most notable departures. I expect Argentinos Jrs to bounce back from the totally unexpected Copa Argentina elimination against 2nd tier club Midland. They have a good squad that is even more solid with veteran Enzo Perez in midfield, so I expect them to continue strong at home as usual against relegation candidates Sarmiento-