Belgrano vs Newell’s
Belgrano continues to improve in this stretch of the season. Last Saturday, the team celebrated an easy 2-0 away success at Gimnasia LP thanks to a brace from striker Pablo Vegetti. As a result, the newly-promoted side made it four league matches unbeaten (three victories and one draw without even conceding) to accumulate 21 points in 12 matches, climbing into sixth spot of the Liga Profesional table on their return to the top flight. Belgrano took eight of those points as the hosting side, winning two, drawing two and losing one of their five home matches in 2023.
Newell’s Old Boys put up an excellent fight against league leaders River Plate last Sunday but they ended up suffering an unlucky 1-0 home defeat after conceding in stoppage time. As a result, La Lepra won only one of their last four matches in league action, drawing one and losing two in that spell, which means they remain on 18 points in the Liga Profesional table, dropping down to 11th spot. Newell’s grabbed five of those points on away turf as a product of one victory, two draws and three losses in domestic action in 2023. On Tuesday, Newell’s beat Blooming from Bolivia 3-0 at home in a Copa Sudamericana group game. Defensive midfielder Juan Sforza is suspended for Saturday after seeing his fifth yellow card in the league. Facundo Mansilla misses out with muscle issues, as well as Ramiro Sordo, who continues to recover from a knee problem.
Newell’s will have a couple of important missings in Sforza and Sordo, plus they played a midweek game and tiredness could be a factor here so I’m going with the hosts to win.