Afghanistan
Angola
Argentina
Asia (AFC)
Asian Games
Australia
Belgium-Netherlands
Brazil
Burkina Faso
Central American & Caribbean Games
Central American Games
Congo DR
Denmark
England
Europe (UEFA)
FYR Macedonia
Finland
Germany
Greece
International Tournaments
Italy
Mediterranean Games
Mexico
National
Nepal
North & Central America (Concacaf)
Palestine
Pan American Games
Panama
Russia
Scandinavia
Serbia And Montenegro
South American Games
Spain
Syria
USA
Venezuela
World (FIFA)
Yemen
Zimbabwe

Preview: Argentinos Jrs vs. Nacional - prediction, team

sportsmole.co.uk, 18 April 2021, 20:52
Argentinos Juniors welcome Club Nacional to Buenos Aires on Tuesday, in the opening round of fixtures in the Copa Libertadores group stage.

The visitors will look to extend their three-game winning run in all competitions, while the Argentinian outfit have drawn their last three matches domestically.

Match preview

Argentinos Juniors qualified for this year's Copa Libertadores with a fifth-placed finish in the Argentine Primera Division last season.

While that extended their run without a domestic title, with their last trophy coming in 2010, the three-time Argentinian champions will be more than happy with continental qualification.

El Bicho have had a mixed start on the domestic front this season though, currently sitting in ninth place with twelve points from their first 10 league matches.

They salvaged a 1-1 draw against San Lorenzo last time out, as Gabriel Hauche netted an equaliser in the 72nd minute to take home a point.

The appointment of former Argentina centre-back Gabriel Milito as manager in January has failed to trigger a major upturn for Argentinos Juniors, with only three wins coming from those 10 league games in Milito's first season at the helm.

However, the Copa Libertadores gives El Bicho a chance to prove themselves against strong opposition, and Milito will be desperate for his side to make a winning start against the Uruguayan champions on Tuesday.

The visitors will look to stretch their winning run to four games with what would be an important victory to kickstart their Copa Libertadores campaign.

Nacional come into this game on the back of a 4-0 aggregate victory over Rentistas in the Uruguayan Primera Division final.

A Gonzalo Bergessio brace and a Mathias Laborda goal gave them a 3-0 lead going into the second leg, and Bergessio capped off a strong performance with another goal in the away leg.

The Uruguayan giants have lifted the Copa Libertadores three times in the club's history, although their last title came in 1988.

Alejandro Cappuccio's side will have their sights set on a victory to kick off their campaign on Tuesday, as they look to qualify and boost their bid for a first title in over 30 years.

Argentinos Juniors form (all competitions):

W

L

W

D

D

D

Nacional form (all competitions):

L

L

L

W

W

W

Article continues after the advert

Team News

Gabriel Hauche will be pushing for a return to the Argentinos Juniors starting side on Tuesday, after he netted the equaliser off the bench last time out.

He will have to compete for a starting spot with Gabriel Avalos, who has been preferred in attack in recent weeks.

At the other end of the pitch, Carlos Quintana, Miguel Torren and Kevin Mac Allister could reform the back three, shielding Lucas Chavez in goal.

Nacional's line will be led by Gonzalo Bergessio, who netted three goals in the 4-0 aggregate victory over Rentistas.

He will be supported by the attacking threat of midfielder Felipe Carballo, who has been a key man since his January move from Spanish side Sevilla.

Argentinos Juniors possible starting lineup:

Chavez; Mac Allister, Torren, Quintana; Romero, Moyano, Vera, Gomez; Cabrera, Hauche, Carabajal

Nacional possible starting lineup:

Rochet; Mendez, Corujo, Marichal, Velazquez; Ocampo, Carballo, Martinez, Garcia; Bergessio, Vecino

We say: Argentinos Juniors 1-2 Nacional

The visitors come into this game in a strong run of form, and we see their momentum carrying them to another important victory on Tuesday.

Nacional have plenty of experience on the continental stage, and we would expect that to see them over the line in Buenos Aires.

Top tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting under 3.5 goals in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.

Top News

25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Tottenham Hotspur defender Sergio Reguilon is allegedly hoping to agree to the mutual termination of his contract. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Ruben Amorim will look to claim his first win as Manchester United head coach when his side welcome Bodo/Glimt to Old Traffordfor Thursday's Europa League contest. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has been accused of 'thinking about himself' by fellow club legend Jamie Carragher. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk On matchday five of the Champions League, Dinamo Zagreb will welcome inconsistent Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund to Stadion Maksimir on Wednesday. 25 November 2024 talksport.com Jamie Carragher has revealed he's been left 'very disappointed' by Mohamed Salah after he delivered a huge Liverpool contract update. 25 November 2024 talksport.com Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario has revealed he played over an hour with a broken ankle against Manchester City. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Austrian champions Sturm Graz are set to welcome Spanish side Girona to Worthersee Stadion on Wednesday in their fifth Champions League fixture of the season. 25 November 2024 talksport.com Curtis Jones currently tops an important midfield metric thanks to an impressive season with Liverpool thus far. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Millwall will look to extend their eight-game unbeaten run when they travel to Fratton Park for Wednesday's Championship clash with Portsmouth. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk No doubt one of the most eagerly-awaited battles of the 2024-25 Champions League, six-time winners Liverpool and 15-time champions Real Madrid collide in Wednesday's mouthwatering Anfield showdown. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona will be aiming to return to winning ways when they host Brest in the Champions League on Tuesday night. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Bayern Munich will welcome Paris Saint-Germain to Allianz Arena in the Champions League on Tuesday night. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk At risk of a scarcely believable sixth straight loss in all competitions, a wounded Manchester City take on Feyenoord in the Champions League league phase on Tuesday. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Fresh from a first Premier League victory in weeks, Arsenal's next Champions League quest on Tuesday night sees them visit a Sporting Lisbon side who have won a staggering 14 home games on the spin. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Eredivisie leaders PSV Eindhoven welcome Shakhtar Donetsk to the Philips Stadion on matchday five of the Champions League this wednesday. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Strong starters Monaco welcome an in-form Benfica side to the Stade Louis II on matchday five of the Champions League on Wednesday night. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal have reportedly included defender Kieran Tierney in their travelling squad for Tuesday night's Champions League clash at Sporting Lisbon. 25 November 2024 talksport.com Luka Modric has named a star-studded six-a-side team of footballing legends but there's no room for Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City's Champions League encounter with Feyenoord at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday is "a must-win for many reasons", Citizens expert Steven McInerney from Esteemed Kompany has told Sports Mole. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City have received a double injury boost ahead of Tuesday night's Champions League clash with Feyenoord at the Etihad. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Resuming their debut Champions League campaign, Aston Villa will tackle Serie A giants Juventus on Wednesday evening, when Unai Emery must make a couple of big selection calls. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Istanbul Basaksehir and Petrocub Hincesti are winless in this season's Conference League heading into Wednesday's matchday four encounter at the Basaksehir Fatih Terim Stadium. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City are reeling after a run of five consecutive defeats, an unprecedented run of poor form under manager Pep Guardiola, who watched his team suffer a heavy 4-0 defeat at home to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League last weekend. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City are reeling after a run of five consecutive defeats, an unprecedented run of poor form under manager Pep Guardiola, who watched his team suffer a heavy 4-0 defeat at home to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League last weekend. 25 November 2024 talksport.com A non-league side have been able to see the funny side after their pitch was left underwater by Storm Bert. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal are reportedly prepared to reject any offers for William Saliba, who is attracting interest from Real Madrid. 25 November 2024 talksport.com Premier League clubs are not renowned for their patience when firing managers, and we've just had our second sacking of 2024/25. 25 November 2024 talksport.com Liverpool have the chance to go 11 points clear of Premier League champions Manchester City when the two sides meet this weekend. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City are reportedly involved in the race for the services of Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap, with Chelsea keen on the player. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Turkish giants Besiktas are reportedly interested in signing Fulham winger Adama Traore in the January transfer window.