On Monday, Arsenal Sarandi have a chance to win consecutive domestic games for the first time all season when they host Banfield at Estadio Julio Humberto Grondona.
El Arse are dead-last in Group A in the second phase of the Argentine Primera Division campaign, despite defeating Defensa y Justicia 1-0 on matchday seven, while Banfield moved up to eighth with a 1-0 victory over Lanus.
Match preview
Halfway through the second phase of this competition, Arsenal's hopes of surviving relegation appear to be fading, with this team currently on 28 points altogether this season and the lowest points per game average over the previous three top-flight campaigns (0.956).
Dario Espinola picked up his first triumph as the interim manager last weekend after this team suffered a pair of one-goal defeats at Velez Sarsfield (2-1) and Atletico Tucuman (1-0) in his first two matches in charge.
In the opening phase of the Primera this season, Arsenal collected 16 of their 22 points at home, and their second-phase form in Sarandi is the only thing keeping their survival hopes afloat, as they have won consecutive home fixtures in this round of the competition while losing all four of their away contests.
Los del Viaducto have lost all but two of their league fixtures this year when conceding the opening goal, claiming just four points in that position, while suffering 16 domestic defeats this year by a single goal.
With a victory on Monday, this team would match their entire total for wins from the first and second phase last season, while they could potentially move from 14th to 11th in Group A depending on how Barracas Central, Gimnasia and Rosario Central fare in their matches.
Banfield ended a three-game domestic winless run last weekend, as they scored in the opening half for only the second time since this round began.
All three of their victories in this phase of the competition have occurred when they have netted first, while Banfield have not lost domestically this year after drawing first blood.
Only one of their six second-round goals have occurred away from home, where this team have only triumphed once in their last three matches (1-0 over Instituto AC) after they ended the opening phase of this competition with points in their final three road fixtures.
Seven of their 10 points this term have come against sides currently with fewer points than them in either Group A or B.
Julio Cesar Falcioni's men are unbeaten in their previous four matches versus Arsenal Sarandi in all competitions, without a single goal conceded over that stretch.
Team News
Maximiliano Centurion is not expected to return to the Arsenal Sarandi lineup this season after injuring his ACL over the summer, while we only saw one change to their starting 11 from matchday six to seven, with Emiliano Viveros coming in for Lautaro Guzman.
An injury-time penalty in the opening half from Juan Bautista Cejas was all they would need to defeat Defensa y Justicia last weekend, as Alejandro Medina only had to make three stops to collect a clean sheet.
Banfield could be without numerous players on Monday, with Alexis Maldonado (ACL), Horacio Tijanovich (tendon), Alejandro Cabrera (ACL), Lautaro Rios (knee) and Matias Ramirez (back) all missing their previous encounter through injury.
Juan Bisanz put home his first goal of the second phase to help his side triumph over Lanus as Facundo Cambeses made three stops to collect a clean sheet.
Arsenal Sarandi possible starting lineup:
Medina; Chimino, Breitenbruch, Pombo, Sporle; Brochero, Muscia, Rivero, Guzman; Peinipil, Cejas
Banfield possible starting lineup:
Cambeses; Coronel, Maciel, Quiros, Insua; Remedi; Alvarez, Canete, Rodriguez, Rivera; Gimenez
We say: Arsenal Sarandi 0-0 Banfield
The last three encounters between these two sides wound up in a goalless draw, and neither have shown us much creativity when in possession, so we expect a relatively comfortable match for both goalkeepers.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Joel Lefevre
