Newell's Old Boys can stretch their unbeaten run to eight matches in all competitions when they host Gimnasia at Estadio Marcelo Bielsa on Monday.
After 21 matches in the 2023 Argentine Primera Division campaign, La Lepra are 11th, drawing Huracan 1-1 in their previous domestic outing, while El Lobo are three points behind them following a goalless draw with Central Cordoba.
Match preview
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Last month, the club from Rosario were in a giving mood, squandering four points from winning positions domestically, with three draws in league play.
Although Gabriel Heinze has only seen this group claim maximum points once in their previous five Primera encounters, he has also not seen them lose in seven successive matches in all competitions.
Currently, Newell's have allowed the fourth-fewest goals (17) in the Argentine top-flight, collecting eight domestic clean sheets at home this year.
They had an impressive group stage campaign at the Copa Sudamericana where they claimed 16 points in six matches to advance into the knockout round, scoring four goals on home soil, though Newell's have failed to find the back of the net eight times domestically this year, three of which were at Estadio Marcelo Bielsa.
Last season, La Lepra ended a five-match losing run in all competitions versus Gimnasia, winning 2-0 for their first home triumph against them since 2017.
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With six matches remaining in the opening phase of this competition, Sebastian Romero's Gimnasia side are near the middle of the table in 16th, though only three points currently separate them from Union, who are 22nd.
Throughout the 2023 domestic campaign, this team have struggled to find the back of the net away from home, having been shut out on seven occasions.
The good news is that they have cleaned up their defensive game over the past month or so with five shutouts in their previous seven matches played in all competitions, though Los Triperos are still tied for the third-most goals allowed in the first phase of the Argentine Primera Division campaign (27).
They have shown fairly good discipline domestically this year, but at the Copa Sudamericana, it has been a different story as Gimnasia have received 10 red cards, including eight in their final group fixture on Wednesday versus Universitario.
Romero will want his side to take their Sudamericana frustrations out on Newell's this Monday, and they have been able to do that often in past seasons, losing only two of their last 13 encounters versus La Lepra in all competitions.
Team News
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La Lepra were without Fabian Angel when they drew Huracan as he is still recovering from a knee injury, while they will be missing Angelo Martino and Juan Sforza on Monday through suspension.
Jorge Recalde picked up his team-leading fifth goal of the Primera campaign last Friday, while a 97th-minute equaliser by Armando Mendez enabled them to collect a 1-1 draw against Audax Italiano as they ended the group portion of the Sudamericana undefeated.
In their previous encounter versus Gimnasia, an own-goal from Oscar Piris gave them a 1-0 lead after a half-hour, with Djorkaeff Reasco also netting in that triumph.
Gimnasia could be without German Guiffrey, who has a sore shoulder, while Matias Miranda and Lautaro Chavez are dealing with ACL injuries.
In what was a chaotic end to their Sudamericana clash at Universitario, Nelson Insfran, Agustin Ramirez, Franco Torres, Eric Ramirez, Tomas Durso, Leonardo Morales, Ignacio Miramon and Cristian Tarragona were all ejected from that encounter, though they will each be eligible to play in this upcoming fixture.
Their last goal in this competition came courtesy of Tarragona in a 1-0 triumph at home versus Huracan, putting him one ahead of Alan Lescano for the team lead this season with four.
Newell's Old Boys possible starting lineup:
Hoyos; Mosquera, Velazquez, Ortiz, Pitton; Gomez, Portillo, Ferreira; Reasco, Recalde, Aguirre
Gimnasia possible starting lineup:
Durso; Gonzalez, Morales, Sanchez, Colazo; Napolitano, Miramon; E. Ramirez, Lescano, Dominguez; Tarragona
We say: Newell's Old Boys 1-0 Gimnasia
What happened near the tail end of their Sudamericana clash on Wednesday is an indication of just how frustrating times have been for Gimnasia of late, and we have a hard time seeing them pull it all together just a few days later against the well-drilled and compact defensive unit that is Newell's.
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Top tip
Joel Lefevre
