Preview: Banfield vs. Arsenal Sarandi - prediction, team news, lineups

Bottom club Arsenal Sarandi travel to Estadio Florencio Sola to take on third-bottom Banfield in the Argentine Primera Division this weekend.

The hosts head into Sunday night's showdown on a two-game winning streak, while the visitors have lost each of their previous four league encounters.

Match preview

After managing to win just three of their opening 17 league outings this season – recording six draws and eight losses in the process – Banfield have picked up three victories in their last six matches.

Thanks to clean-sheet wins against Rosario Central and Argentinos Juniors, in addition to a 2-1 victory over Tigre in midweek, El Taladro find themselves seven points clear of Arsenal Sarandi and only six points shy of the top half.

It is also worth noting that Javier Sanguinetti's men have enjoyed plenty of success on home soil this season, losing just four of their 12 home league games at Estadio Florencio Sola, with three victories coming in their previous six.

Having kept eight clean sheets in 12 home matches in the Primera Division, Banfield will be hopeful of heaping more misery on Arsenal, who are the joint-lowest scorers in Argentina's top flight.

As well as being the joint-lowest scorers in the league, Arsenal Sarandi possess the worst defensive record, having conceded 32 goals in 23 matches this term.

With that in mind, it is hardly surprising that Los del Viaducto are rooted to the foot of the table, as they have struggled at both ends of the pitch throughout the campaign.

Following a 2-1 defeat against Defensa y Justicia last time out, Arsenal enter Sunday's clash on the back of four successive losses, while Federico Vilar's men have lost 16 of their 23 league outings this season, picking up five wins and two draws along the way.

To make matters worse for Arsenal, they have lost each of their previous eight away league games while failing to score on seven occasions, and they have also managed to win just one of their 12 Primera Division road matches in 2023.

Team News

Banfield are still without long-term injury absentee Alexis Maldonado as he continues to recover from ligament damage, meaning that Aaron Quiroz and Alejandro Maciel will continue at centre-back.

After bagging a brace last time out, Juan Bisanz is expected to operate on the left wing in a 4-1-4-1 formation, with Nicolas Sosa on the opposite flank and Milton Gimenez up front.

Arsenal Sarandi, on the other hand, have reported no injury problems ahead of Sunday's match, although Federico Vilar could be tempted to ring the changes given his team's current form.

That said, the visiting manager will likely stick with his favoured 4-2-3-1 formation, with Flabian Londono leading the line, while Felipe Pena Biafore and Gonzalo Muscia are expected to anchor the midfield.

Banfield possible starting lineup:

Cambeses; Coronel, Maciel, Quiroz, Insua; Cabrera; Sosa, Romero, Aleman, Bisanz; Gimenez

Arsenal Sarandi possible starting lineup:

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

We say: Banfield 2-0 Arsenal Sarandi

While Banfield have kept eight clean sheets in 12 home league games this season, Arsenal Sarandi have lost each of their last eight away outings, firing seven blanks in the process, so we expect the hosts to claim another shutout victory on home soil.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.