Preview: Platense vs Godoy Cruz - prediction, team news, lineups

Club Atletico Platense welcome Godoy Cruz to the Estadio Ciudad de Vicente Lopez on Monday evening as the Argentine Primera Division Clausura season continues, with both sides seeking stability at opposite ends of the table.

The hosts have been difficult to break down at home, while Cruz arrive with a dismal recent record and in desperate need of a response.

Match preview

Platense’s reputation as a stubborn home side remains intact. The Calamar have gone unbeaten in each of their last seven Liga Profesional fixtures at the Estadio Ciudad de Vicente Lopez, and across their last 18 home league outings they have avoided defeat on 17 occasions.

That resilience stems from a strong defensive core, with the team conceding an average of just 0.55 goals per home match this season, although their attacking output has been more modest at 0.82 goals per game.

Recent form has been mixed, with just one win from their last six across all competitions, yet a string of draws underlines their ability to frustrate opponents.

Kily Gonzalez's men will be eager to convert that solidity into victories more consistently, particularly against a Godoy Cruz side struggling for confidence.

Their most recent 1-0 success provided a timely boost and ensured they climbed into mid-table safety heading into matchday seven.

Walter Ribonetto's men, by contrast, arrive in free fall. They are winless in six league games stretching back to March, and they have suffered three successive half-time and full-time defeats in the Clausura.

With only three wins from their last 22 Liga Profesional matches, El Tomba’s lack of cutting edge has become a major concern.

The statistics highlight the problem: an average of just 0.55 goals scored per league outing leaves them unable to build pressure or protect slender leads.

The visitors’ defensive record has been no better, and with confidence clearly fragile, the challenge of turning around their fortunes in Vicente Lopez looks daunting.

They have lost their last four matches in all competitions, and the inability to find a reliable formula in either penalty box has left Ribonetto facing mounting scrutiny.

Platense Argentine Primera Division form:

W L D D D W

Platense form (all competitions):

D L D D D W

Godoy Cruz Argentine Primera Division form:

D D D L L L

Godoy Cruz form (all competitions):

D L L L L L

Team News

Platense remain hampered by a lengthy injury list. Enzo Roldan (knee) and Gonzalo Goni (groin) are both sidelined until early September, while Rodrigo Herrera (knee) and Nicolas Orsini (groin) are also out for a similar period.

Jonathan Bay faces a more prolonged absence with a cruciate ligament injury, while Leonel Picco is unavailable due to a tooth problem expected to keep him sidelined for several weeks.

Godoy Cruz are not at full strength either, with creative midfielder Tomas Pozzo missing out through injury until early September.

However, Ribonetto has few alternative options to rotate his struggling side and will be forced to lean on the same group of players who have faltered in recent weeks.

The lack of squad depth compared to their hosts adds further difficulty to their attempt to arrest a poor run of results.

Platense possible starting lineup:

Cozzani; Saborido, Vazquez, Salomon, Lozano; Baldassarra, Portillo; Mainero, Taborda, Zapiola; Martinez

Godoy Cruz possible starting lineup:

Petroli; Jara, Mendoza, Escobar, Moran; Poggi, N. Fernandez; Andino, P. Fernandez, Altamira; Auzmendi

We say: Platense 1-0 Godoy Cruz

Platense’s home record provides a stark contrast to Godoy Cruz’s ongoing crisis. The hosts have shown themselves capable of grinding out results in front of their own supporters, while the visitors’ lack of cutting edge and extended winless run leaves them short of belief.

Unless Ribonetto’s men can summon an uncharacteristic clinical edge, Platense should edge this contest, with their defensive security proving decisive.

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