Another all-Argentinian contest awaits Velez Sarsfield in the Copa Libertadores, as they host Talleres in the first leg of their quarter-final tie on Wednesday.
After seeing off River Plate in the last 16, the Buenos Aures club welcome their Cordoban counterparts to Estadio Jose Amalfitani, where they will seek to end a long winless run and take a lead into next week's second leg.
Match preview
On a run of seven successive consecutive outings without a win, Velez Sarsfield are stumbling into the most important game of their season so far - still hoping for a first victory since their 1-0 success against River Plate in June.
Following a goalless return leg with their rivals from the capital, that narrow win on home soil ultimately proved enough to seal a place in the Copa Libertadores quarter-finals for the first time since 2012.
However, Velez have been beaten twice and drawn five times during the intervening period - including a 2-2 draw with River Plate in the league - and they sit 23rd in the 28-team Argentine Primera Division following Saturday's 1-1 result at Godoy Cruz.
With just one win from 11 matches in the league's second phase, Alexander Medina's side will certainly struggle to replicate their fifth-place finish of last year, which secured entry into the Libertadores - a competition the club have won just once before, in 1994.
Velez also conceded the most goals (11) of any team that advanced to the knockout stage this season, and only sneaked through to the last 16 by a single point ahead of Uruguay's Nacional in Group C.
Nonetheless, they are in the final eight of South America's top club tournament and now face domestic rivals who are similarly struggling in the league.
Sitting one place below Wednesday's hosts on goal difference, near the bottom of the Primera Division standings, Talleres reached the quarter-finals for the first time in their century-long history by way of a 3-1 aggregate win over another Argentinian outfit, Colon, in the last 16.
After snatching a 1-1 draw in the first leg thanks to Alan Franco's 87th-minute equaliser - just reward for their dominance at Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes - the Albiazul then won 2-0 in Santa Fe to make it through.
A former coach of Uniao Leiria and - briefly - Rangers, Pedro Caixinha has seen his side continue to stutter in the league, though, and they have posted just a single top-flight win since the start of June: most recently drawing 1-1 with San Lorenzo.
In the group stage, Talleres managed to hold 2021 Libertadores runners-up Flamengo to a 2-2 draw, and the club from Cordoba have lost only one of their eight matches in the competition so far. Such a record bodes better than their patchy domestic form, and should stand them in good stead for the next week.
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Team News
Velez pair Maximo Perrone and Valentin Gomez return from one-match bans on Wednesday, after both serving suspensions in the Primera Division, but centre-back Lautaro Giannetti remains out of action, having suffered an ACL injury in April.
Former Toronto winger Lucas Janson is the hosts' top scorer in the Copa Libertadores this term, with four goals so far - two more than Uruguayan defender Matias de los Santos, who could partner compatriot Diego Godin in the back four. Janson should start on the left flank, with Lucas Pratto and Walter Bou joining forces up front.
Meanwhile, coach Alexander Medina will be banned domestically after apparently tripping a Godoy Cruz player last week, but is set to stalk the sideline once more in the Libertadores.
The visitors will again turn to Atletico Mineiro loanee Alan Franco, who scored a crucial goal in the last 16, to supplement an attack also featuring Federico Girotti, a River Plate academy product. However, ex-Copenhagen striker Michael Santos is absent due to a muscular injury.
Goalkeeper Guido Herrera captains Talleres, who have kept only two clean sheets in their last eight games.
Velez Sarsfield possible starting lineup:
Hoyos; Jara, De los Santos, Godin, Ortega; Orellano, Garayalde, Perrone, Janson; Bou, Pratto
Talleres possible starting lineup:
Herrera; Benavidez, Catalan, Perez, Diaz; Oliva, Villagra; Godoy, Esquivel, Franco; Girotti
We say: Velez Sarsfield 2-1 Talleres
Neither side boast defensive security as one of their strengths, and they have both been leaking goals of late, but Velez pose the more potent attacking threat. With several experienced options in the final third, the hosts should take a lead to Cordoba next week.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Jonathan O'Shea
