Independiente can keep pace with the top teams in the Argentine Primera Division when they travel to Estadio Diego Armando Maradona on Thursday to face Argentinos Juniors with kickoff at 1 am.
Argentinos Juniors narrowly missed out on the spot in the Copa Sudamericana last season. Still, they are looking to earn a place in one of the big South American competitions next year.
The club currently sits in 12th place in Argentina’s Torneo Apertura, two points back of Union for the final Sudamericana spot.
The club earned points in 11 of their 14 group fixtures in the first phase of the competition and is within striking distance of a Copa Libertadores position and just five points behind Racing for first overall.
Juniors did not concede more than once at home in the first phase of the competition, going pointless in only one match played inside their famous stadium.
Independiente had a rough start to the campaign, finishing 10th in Group B with a record of three wins and 14 points. As a result, Eduardo Dominguez and his side are facing a tall task as they try to reach the Copa Sudamericana next season.
El Rojo has looked sharp when scoring first, coming away with their share of points in that scenario, though they squandered a second-half advantage in their opening match of this phase, drawing San Lorenzo 1-1.
Argentine Juniors vs Independiente Head to Head
Both sides have ten games against each other, with the hosts taking two wins while the visitors with four wins. Here is a look at their previous encounters:
Home
- CA Sarmiento 1-0 Argentinos
- Argentinos 2-1 Aldovisi
- Tigre 1-1 Argentinos
- La Plata 1-1 Argentinos
Away
- Independiente 1-0 Talleres
- San Lorenzo 1-1 Independiente
- Independiente 0-2 Ceara
- Independiente 4-0 Deportivo
Argentinos Juniors Team News
In their first match of the second phase, Gabriel Carabajal and Thiago Nuss scored for Juniors, while Federico Lanzillota stopped three of the four shots he faced. Matias Galarza is the only one on the team with an assist in their two second-round matches, while Nicolas Reniero and Mateo Coronel have not tallied this season.
Independiente Team News
After scoring four goals and registering four assists a season ago, Alan Sonora has yet to find the back of the net in this domestic campaign. Juan Isaurralde and Leandro Fernandez are the only players with an assist for them after two games.
Prediction and Odds
We expect this to be a close game between two teams who are looking to keep pace in the early stages of this Primera Division phase.
- Draw
- Double Chance
- Goals Over 2.5
