Velez vs Talleres
Velez Sarsfield took a giant step on their fight to avoid relegation last Saturday, when beating Instituto 1-0 away from home thanks to a strike from Claudio Aquino in the first half. Having succumbed to a single defeat across their last five Copa Liga Profesional matches (two victories and two draws), El Fortin made it 17 points in 11 matches, missing the playoff zone in group A just by goal difference and also holding a two-point gap over the drop spot in the aggregate table, just three rounds before the end of the season. Velez lost to Banfield 1-0 in their last home match, which broke their seven-match unbeaten streak of five victories and two draws at Estadio Jose Amalfitani.
Talleres continue finding trouble to show their best version. On Monday, the team produced another worrying performance and registered a scoreless home stalemate against Banfield, which means La T are now on five Copa Liga Profesional matches without a win (three draws and two defeats). Following that streak, Javier Gandolfi’s men made it 13 points in group A, far away from the playoff spots. However, they remain second-placed in the aggregate table, five points over the first non-Copa Libertadores’ spot. Furthermore, Talleres are struggling on their travels: they lost the last four away matches.
Velez without defender captain Lautaro Gianneti who is suspended and again having to use their 3rd goalkeeper, they are only 2 points above the relegation places while Talleres with playmaker Nahuel Bustos back in the starting lineup has a last chance to get in the playoffs zone of Group A, so I expect an open game here with at least a couple of goals.