Belgrano – Huracan
2024 was not a good year for Belgrano, as they fell out of contention for a Copa Sudamericana spot several rounds before the end of the season. They won only one of their last five league matches, along with two draws and two losses (one of them a 2-1 defeat to Rosario Central away in the season finale). They couldn’t even establish strength at home, losing three of their last five matches in this competition (winning one and drawing one). Walter Erviti will make his debut as head coach, replacing Juan Cruz Real. Lucas Zelarayan (from Al-Fateh SC, Saudi Arabia) returns to the club after nine years, marking the biggest transfer of the summer window, with no relevant departures. Belgrano won two and drew one during the preseason. Ulises Sanchez and Lucas Passerini have recovered from long-term injuries and will be available. Huracán ended 2024 with great disappointment: their 2-0 defeat to Vélez Sarsfield crushed their dream of winning the Liga Profesional title after more than 50 years. It was their third loss in the last five matches (along with one win and one draw) and their third consecutive defeat as visitors. As a result, they will have to settle for a spot in the Copa Sudamericana, thanks to their ninth-place finish in the aggregate table. El Globo lost many of their best players, including Rodrigo Echeverría (sold to León FC, Mexico), Williams Alarcón (Boca Juniors), and Federico Fattori (Argentinos Juniors). On the other hand, coach Frank Kudelka welcomes several reinforcements, including Marco Pellegrino (Independiente), Leonardo Gil (CSD Colo Colo, Chile), Matko Miljevic (Newell’s Old Boys), Emmanuel Ojeda (Universidad Chile), and Víctor Cantillo (Junior, Colombia), among others. Belgrano looks improved from last season with playmaker Lucas Zelarrayan back in the club and Lucas Passerini finally recovered from his knee injury, plus they league top scorer Franco Jara stayed so I expect them to beat this Huracan with a renewed squad that has lost important players in every line.