Defensa y Justicia will be looking to leapfrog Lanus in the Argentine Primera Division table on Sunday evening, when the two sides face off at the Norberto Tomaghello Stadium.
The hosts are now fifth in the standings after a recent uptick in form, while the visitors are in fourth place, just one point above their opponents.
Match preview
Defensa have collected 39 points from their 23 Argentine Primera Division matches up to this point, meaning they are just three points behind third-placed San Lorenzo, who occupy the all-important Copa Libertadores qualification spot.
There are just four games remaining in the regular season, so the Hawk will need to finish very strongly if they are to pip San Lorenzo to third spot, and they also have to make up ground on Sunday's opponents.
A win for Julio Vaccari's side would see them rise above Lanus in the table, and they should be very confident heading into the game, given that they have won their last three matches on the bounce in all competitions, most recently defeating Arsenal Sarandi.
Defensa did not make it easy for themselves against the bottom-of-the-table side, but a quick-fire double from Nicolas Fernandez in the second half secured all three points, at the stage of the season when getting over the line is all that matters.
However, the Hawk are likely to have their work cut out this weekend, as Lanus have been solid throughout the campaign, picking up 18 points in their last 10 games, the third-highest total in the division.
Granate have lost just one of their last seven away matches, most recently defeating Platense 1-0 courtesy of a goal from Matias Esquivel, which bodes well heading into a game where they most likely need to win to stay in the hunt for third spot.
In truth, however, Frank Kudelka's side will probably be disappointed by the fact they are not in a better position heading into Sunday's game, as they unexpectedly lost their last match after a seven-game winless run.
Lanus looked very poor at home against a struggling Velez Sarsfield side, recording just three shots on target in the entire match, handing San Lorenzo a major advantage in the race for the Copa Libertadores qualification spot.
Recent history is not in Granate's favour heading into Sunday's game, as they have lost their last four matches away at Defensa y Justicia, although it is a long time since their last encounter, as the most recent of those matches was a 2-1 defeat in December 2021.
Team News
Defensa y Justicia have been in good form as of late, so Vaccari is unlikely to rock the boat too much, but he may hand a start to Kevin Gutierrez, with the central midfielder assisting the winning goal as a substitute in the most recent match.
That switch would likely mean Julian Lopez drops back to the bench, but the manager could also swap out Nicolas Tripichio, who has only been a bit-part player in recent weeks.
Lanus are still without Paraguayan centre-back Josa Canale, who has missed the last 10 games with injury, so trusted pairing Felipe Aguilar and Cristian Lema are set to continue at the back, in what is likely to be a 4-3-3 system.
Moving into attacking areas, Leandro Diaz is likely to be the danger man for Granate, with the striker bagging 11 league goals this season, and he should be supported by Franco Troyansky and Pedro de La Vega from either flank.
Defensa y Justicia possible starting lineup:
Bologna; Sant'Anna, Colomba, Cardona, Soto; Gutierrez, Tripichio, Alanis, Solari, Togni; Fernandez
Lanus possible starting lineup:
Morales; Aguirre, Aguilar, Lema, Sanchez; Fernandez, Perez, Esquivel; De La Vega, Troyansky, Diaz
We say: Defensa y Justicia 1-1 Lanus
Lanus have made a habit out of drawing on their travels, sharing the spoils in three of their last four away games, and with both sides very evenly-matched, we are expecting them to play out a closely-contested draw this weekend.
That result would suit third-placed San Lorenzo to the ground, but they face a very tough test at home against league-leaders River Plate, meaning the door may be open for Defensa y Justicia or Lanus to close the gap.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Dominic Lund
