Defensa y Justicia – Estudiantes

Defensa showed a worthy version on their visit to Racing Club in their last league game, securing an important 1-1 away stalemate. Thanks to that result, El Halcon remain alive in their fight to advance to the playoffs: having lost only one of their last ten league matches (four victories and five stalemates), Julio Vaccari’s men are now on 17 points, just one behind fourth-placed Newell’s Old Boys. Defensa took eight of those points at their own stadium as a product of two wins, two draws and a single defeat. On Thursday 21, they lost 2-1 to second-tier side Atletico Rafaela in the Copa Argentina first round. Winger Luciano Herrera has been diagnosed with dengue and will miss out, as well as Emanuel Aguilera due to a muscle problem. Nicolas Tripichio returns after overcoming a muscle problem.

Estudiantes had their round-11 home match against Boca Juniors abandoned after a medical emergency involving Javier Altamirano. Therefore, El Pincha remain on two consecutive defeats in league action, having lost to Sarmiento 3-1 away in their last match (which stopped a six-game unbeaten streak of three victories and three draws as the visiting side). However, Eduardo Dominguez’s men remain occupying one of the playoff spots in group B even holding one game in hand, accumulating 18 points so far.

A must win game for Defensa who are one point behind Estudiantes and the playoffs zone and also a big chance for Estudiantes to almost secure the playoffs with a win. They both have good attacks, Defensa has been poor in defense though with 13 goals conceded, the same they have scored. No result will be a surprise here but I definitely expect an open game with probably both teams scoring.

BET: OVER 2 @ 1.87