Platense vs River
Platense exceeded expectations last season, finishing 13th in the aggregate table and coming just one point short of qualifying for an international competition for the first time. Their 1-0 home victory over Gimnasia LP marked a strong end to the season, with the team winning six and drawing six of their last 14 league matches, losing only two. In fact, they are unbeaten in their last seven home games, with five wins and two draws. Captain Gaston Suso departed for Gimnasia LP, while Mateo Pellegrino (to Vélez Sarsfield) and Sasha Marcich (to Lanús) are other significant losses. On the other hand, coaches Favio Orsi and Sergio Gomez welcome reinforcements such as Edgar Elizalde (from Liverpool FC, Uruguay) and Jonathan Bay (from Instituto), among others. River Plate closed the 2024 season with a 1-0 loss to Racing Club away, breaking a three-match unbeaten streak in the league (two wins and one draw), but the result had little impact: the team finished third in the aggregate table and secured a spot in the 2025 Copa Libertadores. On a negative note, El Millonario lost two of their last three away matches in this competition, with only one win during that stretch. The club had a fantastic summer transfer window, with the returns of Gonzalo Montiel (Sevilla FC, Spain), Lucas MartInez Quarta (ACF Fiorentina, Italy), Enzo Pérez (Estudiantes), and Sebastián Driussi (Austin FC, MLS), in addition to the arrivals of Matías Rojas (Inter Miami FC, MLS) and Giuliano Galoppo (Sao Paulo, Brazil). River are the main candidates to win this title, they’ve added some very important players while Platense has lost their captain, and their top scorer so I have to go with the visitors to start the season with a win.