Platense vs Newell´s
Platense fans will have felt heartbroken after the team’s 1-1 away stalemate at San Lorenzo last Thursday as they conceded the equaliser in the 90th minute. However, El Calamar are going through a great moment of form: unbeaten in their last five league matches (three victories and two draws), Martin Palermo’s men accumulated 15 points in the Copa Liga Profesional group B, still into the the playoff zone and three points behind the last Copa Sudamericana places in the aggregate table. This campaign allowed them to have left relegation threats definitely behind. At home, Platense are on five without defeat, having won three and drawn two since losing to Huracan 1-0 in July.
Newell’s Old Boys played one of their worst matches in the Copa Liga Profesional last Thursday and registered a disappointing 2-0 home defeat to Godoy Cruz. That result put an end to their two-game winning streak in league action and displaced them from the playoff zone in group B as La Lepra remain on 14 points after ten rounds. As a result, they are still out of the continental spots in the aggregate table, trailing tenth-placed Argentinos Juniors by three points. On a positive note, Newell’s won their last two away matches without even conceding. Centre back Gustavo Velazquez reached the yellow-card limit against Godoy Cruz and is suspended for Monday.
Newell’s are completely unreliable right now despite their recent wins in away games. They are too irregular, won’t have Velazquez in defense, so I can’t understand why Platense who are on a very good undefeated streak, safe from relegation and fighting to secure a playoff spot, should be underdogs at home.