Preview: Arsenal Sarandi vs. Defensa y Justicia - prediction, team news, lineups

At the opposite end of the table, Defensa find themselves sixth - 19 points clear of Arsenal - having picked up their 10th win of the campaign last time out.

Match preview

Arsenal Sarandi head into Thursday's clash on the back of a 1-0 defeat to Velez Sarsfield, who scored with their only attempt on target but limited Federico Vilar's men to just 30% possession at the Jose Amalfitani Stadium.

Los del Viaducto have now lost each of their last three matches without scoring a single goal, and they have also lost seven of their previous nine league outings, failing to score in six of those defeats.

When you look at the bigger picture, Arsenal have lost 15 of their 22 league games this season, with 11 defeats coming in their previous 14 encounters, so it is easy to understand why they find themselves two points adrift at the bottom of the table.

It is also worth noting that Arsenal Sarandi possess the worst defensive record in the division, having conceded 30 goals this year, while no team has scored fewer goals than Los del Viaducto's 15.

That said, Arsenal have enjoyed plenty of success on home soil in recent times, winning four of their last seven league games at the Estadio Viaducto, so Vilar's men will fancy their chances of notching a positive result on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Defensa y Justicia claimed a 1-0 victory over Tigre last time out, ending a two-game losing run in the league following back-to-back defeats against table-topping River Plate and Argentinos Juniors.

Thanks to last weekend's triumph, Halcon enter Thursday's showdown on a two-match winning streak across all competitions, having secured a 3-1 victory over Colombian side Millonarios in the Copa Sudamericana.

As a result, Defensa finished five points clear at the summit of their Copa Sudamericana group, booking their place in the knockout phase by winning five of their six group games.

Having lost just six of their 22 league outings this term, Defensa y Justicia occupy sixth place in the Primera Division, and they also boast the third-best defensive record in Argentina's top flight.

Although the Florencio Varela outfit have struggled for consistency on the road - losing each of their last three league games while failing to win any of their previous four - Julio Vaccari's men will be confident of dispatching lowly Arsenal.

Arsenal Sarandi Argentine Primera Division form:

W

L

W

L

L

L

Defensa y Justicia Argentine Primera Division form:

L

D

W

L

L

W

Defensa y Justicia form (all competitions):

W

W

L

L

W

W

Team News

Arsenal Sarandi have reported no injury problems ahead of Thursday's clash, meaning that Federico Vilar will likely opt for his favoured 3-4-2-1 formation, with Flabian Londono leading the line.

Lautaro Guzman and Lucas Brochero are expected to offer attacking support to the lone striker, while Adrian Sporle and Lucas Souto should occupy the wing-back roles for the hosts.

The visitors have also reported no fresh injury issues, so top scorer Nicolas Fernandez will continue to lead the line for Defensa y Justicia, having netted 16 goals in 28 games across all competitions this season.

Gaston Togni will aim to enhance his tally of six goals and eight assists, while Kevin Gutierrez will likely anchor the midfield in a 4-1-4-1 formation, allowing winger Santiago Solari to join the attack.

Arsenal Sarandi possible starting lineup:

Medina; Breitenbruch, Centurion, Pombo; Souto, Muscia, Biafore, Sporle; Brochero, Guzman; Londono

Defensa y Justicia possible starting lineup:

Bologna; Sant'Anna, Malatini, Cardona, Soto; Gutierrez; Solari, Lopez, Bogarin, Togni; Fernandez

We say: Arsenal Sarandi 1-2 Defensa y Justicia

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