Sports Mole previews Saturday’s Argentine Primera Division clash between Atletico Tucuman and Defensa y Justicia, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Seven places separate Atletico Tucuman and Defensa y Justicia in the Argentine Primera Division table heading into Saturday’s round five encounter at Estadio Jose Fierro.
The home side are winless since the campaign’s opening round, but their opponents are in worse shape, having not won in four gameweeks.
Match preview
Tucuman began the season with a 1-0 triumph over Boca Juniors, but they have been unable to build on that opening victory, failing to win in three consecutive league games.
Including domestic cup matches, El Decano’s winless sequence is worse, with a 2-1 Copa Argentina loss to Gimnasia La Plata on May 28 meaning they have gone four matches without success heading into gameweek five in the Primera Division.
Regardless, Facundo Sava will hope his team securing back-to-back draws against Platense and Velez Sarsfield in rounds three and four bode well for this weekend’s meeting with Defensa.
Despite their 2-1 cup defeat to Gimnasia, the only home defeat in the league in 2024 came against Banfield (3-0) in March, possibly giving confidence to the hosts before Saturday’s meeting.
Having seemingly put that recent elimination on their turf behind them, the El Decano boss hopes his players secure their second league win in gameweek five.
Defensa are not having the best starts to their season, underlined by securing just two points from the 12 on offer and elimination in the Copa Sudamericana.
Francisco Meneghini was appointed to replace Julio Vaccari in the final week of May, but the 35-year-old is winless since succeeding his predecessor.
Even more worrisome for Meneghini is his team’s inability to find the back of the net, having fired blanks against Cesar Vallejo (1-0 loss) in the Sudamericana and a goalless league draw with Independiente.
The fact that Defensa’s last win came against Newell’s Old Boys in April underline the uphill task facing El Halcon’s new boss, who aims to correct the club’s wretched results.
Meneghini has inherited unique problems in Buenos Aires, and the solutions the young manager finds over the coming weeks could make or break his time at the club.
Atletico Tucuman Argentine Primera Division form:
Defensa y Justicia Argentine Primera Division form:
Defensa y Justicia form (all competitions):
Team News
Lucas Ambrogio (knee) is Tucuman’s only reported absentee heading into Saturday’s meeting with Defensa.
Mateo Coronel has netted two of the home side’s goals this term, and the forward is expected to lead the attack alongside Mateo Bajamich this weekend.
Julian Lopez (strain), Nicolas Fernandez (leg), Esteban Burgos (unspecified), David Barbona, Gaston Togni and Ulises Gimenez (all knee) are expected to miss Defensa’s trip to Tucuman.
Without Fernandez, the away side may rely on Leandro Godoy and Kevin Lopez to come up trumps for the Buenos Aires outfit.
Atletico Tucuman possible starting lineup:
Durso; Lagos, Flores, Romero, Infante; Tesuri, Acosta, Sanchez, Pereyra; Bajamich, Coronel
Defensa y Justicia possible starting lineup:
Fiermarin; Tripichio, Aguilera, Mingo, Caceres; Palavecino, Gutierrez; Cannavo, Lopez, Bogarin; Godoy
We say: Atletico Tucuman 1-1 Defensa y Justicia
Saturday’s encounter is difficult to call because of both sides’ underwhelming results preceding gameweek five. Tucuman are winless in four games in all competitions, while Defensa have not recorded victory of any kind since mid-April, thus pointing to a share of the spoils at the Jose Fierro.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.