Independiente vs Talleres
Independiente wasted an enormous opportunity of advancing to the Copa Liga Profesional playoffs when drawing 2-2 to Talleres at home after leading 2-0 and against ten men at one point. However, the team accumulated 23 points to stay expectant regarding the Copa Libertadores’ tickets, now trailing the last qualifying spot by three points in the aggregate table. El Rojo succumbed to a single defeat across their last seven league matches, winning two and drawing four in that time. At home, they accumulated nine points in 2024 as a product of two victories, three stalemates and two defeats. Last weekend, Independiente beat third-tier club Juventud Unida Universitario 2-0 in the Copa Argentina second round.
Talleres showed a great display of effort to come back from a 2-0 disadvantage away at Independiente even suffering a sending off in their last league game, but it wasn’t enough to clinch a ticket to the playoffs. La T are now just two points behind the last Copa Libertadores’ spot in the aggregate table after accumulating 24 points in 14 matches and having not lost any of the last eight in that competition (three victories and five stalemates). On away turf, Walter Ribonetto’s men won two, drew four and lost one in domestic action this term. During the break, Talleres beat Chile’s CD Cobresal 2-0 away and won 3-1 at home over Barcelona SC from Ecuador (on Wednesday 8) in Copa Libertadores action, including losing 1-0 at home to Independiente Rivadavia in a friendly game.
Independiente needs to start the tournament on a high note after a very disappointing elimination without going to the playoffs in the Copa de la Liga and they will be under big pressure from their fans. Talleres are in great mood after a midweek win that put them through in the Copa Libertadores groups stage and they will rest some starters here but those that will replace them are good as well, like veteran striker Gustavo Bou who scored a goal in the Copa Libertadores game. These two met just a few weeks ago and drew 2-2 in a very intense game, and I expect to see something similar in this 1st round.