Sports Mole previews Saturday’s Argentine Primera Division clash between San Lorenzo and Huracan, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Huracan, currently flying high, will visit struggling San Lorenzo at Estadio Pedro Bidegain on Saturday for a Buenos Aires derby in the Argentine Primera Division.
The hosts are one of five clubs yet to record a victory in the league this season, while the visitors are challenging for the top spot, tied on 13 points with two teams.
Match preview
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After a month-long break, San Lorenzo will hope their fortunes change when the Argentine Primera Division resumes, as their start to the season has been difficult, to say the least.
For a side that finished third last year and progressed to the knockout stages of the Copa Libertadores, it is baffling that they have only picked up a single point from four league matches.
They even led their last game against Union – the first time it happened in this current campaign – but conceded two goals within three minutes late on, condemning them to their third defeat in four.
Leandro Romagnoli was initially appointed on an interim basis, managing three matches on each occasion with impressive win rates of 100 and 66.67 percent respectively, but since being confirmed in the role permanently in April, things have not gone as smoothly, with a current win rate of 30 percent after 10 matches in that period.
Following a fan attack on the Huracan team during their match against Godoy Cruz (which was suspended at 1-1 and will be completed behind closed doors at a later date), Romagnoli will be desperate for his team to be in news for the right reasons, starting with the home game against Huracan on Saturday.
San Lorenzo are unbeaten in their last five meetings against Huracan, but they have only won once in that period, with the other four encounters ending in draws.
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While their recent record against the hosts is underwhelming, Huracan can be confident of ending this streak on Saturday due to the contrasting form of both teams.
Frank Dario Kudelka‘s men, who finished a lowly 26th last season, have surprised many this campaign, as they currently sit in the top three and are one of the few teams yet to lose a game.
Only Banfield have prevented Huracan from securing maximum points this season, with a 1-1 draw in matchday two, which was also the last time they conceded in any competition.
Since then, they have kept clean sheets in four consecutive matches, including a penalty shootout victory over Platense in the domestic cup on June 8.
Huracan will hope their defensive solidity can help them secure another victory against a San Lorenzo side that has only managed two goals in four league matches.
The team from Parque Patricios have also found good form on the road, boasting a four-match unbeaten run in away games across all competitions.
San Lorenzo Argentine Primera Division form:
San Lorenzo form (all competitions):
Huracan Argentine Primera Division form:
Team News
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San Lorenzo will take to the field again without the duo of Manuel Insaurralde and Gaston Hernandez, who are both out with cruciate ligament tears and not expected to return until later in the year.
Goalkeeper Gaston Gomez is also sidelined with a muscle injury, meaning Facundo Altamirano will definitely be in goal once more, while right-back Gonzalo Lujan is away with Argentina at the Olympic Games.
After being rewarded with a second league start following his two goals in the Copa Libertadores, Alexis Cuello repaid the faith shown in him by grabbing San Lorenzo’s only goal against Union, which should ideally secure his place in the starting eleven.
Centre-forward Marcelo Perez is the only absentee for Huracan, as he has already joined up with the Paraguayan Olympic squad.
Huracan’s eight league goals this season have come between the pair of Ignacio Pussetto (five goals), who is the league’s leading scorer and Hector Fertoli (three goals) – both will be key to this weekend’s outcome.
San Lorenzo possible starting lineup:
Altamirano; Romana, Herrera, Campi; Braida, Remedi, Irala, Arias; Leguizamon, Cuello; Tarragona
Huracan possible starting lineup:
Meza; Souto, Tobio, Carrizo, Ibanez; Alarcon, Gamarra; Cabral, Fertoli, Mazzantti; Pussetto
We say: San Lorenzo 0-1 Huracan
San Lorenzo are currently struggling to pick up wins in the league thus far, and this has been largely caused by their lack of firepower.
Given Huracan’s defensive solidity and ability to find the goal needed to win the game, it is difficult to see beyond another narrow victory for the visitors.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.