Banfield vs Lanus
Banfield showed a very decent version last Sunday, when they drew 1-1 against defending champions River Plate at home and deserved a bit more. However, El Taladro made it three league matches without a win, taking a single point from nine on offer in that time. As a result, Julio Falcioni’s men are now on seven points in group A, which leaves them only one point above the relegation spot in the aggregate table. Banfield lost only one of their last six home matches, winning three and drawing two.
Leandro Diaz’s strike in the second half allowed Lanus to take an important point on their visit to Boca Juniors last Saturday. However, the 1-1 draw also means El Granate remain without a win in the Copa Liga Profesional, having drawn three and lost three to make it only three points in group B (sitting in the bottom place). As a product of that poor campaign, they remain five points behind the last Copa Libertadores’ spot in the aggregate table, occupied by Defensa y Justicia. Lanus also made it five winless matches on the road, drawing two and losing three in that spell. Captain Lautaro Acosta succumbed to a muscle injury at Boca Juniors and won’t feature on Saturday.
Banfield deserved to beat River last week and they’ve been solid at home lately, so even though they are not the most reliable team I don’t think they will lose against this poor Lanus that won’t have club legendary striker Lautaro Acosta.