Platense vs Argentinos Jrs
Platense picked up a valuable point on Monday night, drawing 2-2 away to Vélez Sarsfield thanks to a Franco Zapiola goal in the 88th minute. El Calamar are having a poor campaign: they have gone five Clausura matches without a win, with two draws and three defeats, and have collected 10 points in Group A. However, they are 10 points clear of the annual-table relegation zone with only 15 points left to play. Argentinos Juniors returned to winning ways with a 2-1 home victory over Tigre, overcoming a below-par performance to collect three important points at a key stage of the season. Kevin Gutiérrez and Gastón Verón were on the scoresheet. El Bicho ended a three-match winless run, with two draws and one defeat, and remain top of Group B with 21 points. They are also now back in the Copa Libertadores qualification places in the annual table, while sitting just two points behind leaders Independiente Rivadavia. Away, Argentinos have collected only two of the last 12 points available. This is a very important game for both teams because it’s a derby with a big rivalry. I’m going to trust Platense here because their poor league campaign likely resulted from focusing too much on the Libertadores, and they have definitely improved under coach Martin Palermo. Argentinos are a very strong team but not when playing away.