In the penultimate round of Copa Libertadores group games, Argentinos Juniors entertain Uruguayan outfit Liverpool at Estadio Diego Armando Maradona on Wednesday night.
Unbeaten in the Libertadores this season, the hosts sit two points clear at the summit of the standings, while the visitors find themselves rock bottom of Group E.
Match preview
© Reuters
Argentinos Juniors will all but secure a place in the knockout phase if they get the better of Liverpool on Wednesday, as the Buenos Aires outfit have taken eight points from a possible 12 to assume control of Group E.
After kicking off their Copa Libertadores campaign with 1-0 victories over Independiente del Valle and Corinthians, Argentinos were held to a 2-2 draw by Liverpool before playing out a goalless stalemate with Corinthians.
Although Gabriel Milito's men have scored just four goals across their opening four matches, they have managed to keep three clean sheets, underlining their defensive capabilities.
That said, Argentinos have experienced an inconsistent domestic campaign up to now, as they find themselves 12th in the Argentine top flight with a record of seven wins, five draws and seven losses.
El Bicho needed a 94th-minute goal from substitute Leonardo Heredia to snatch a 1-0 victory over Platense last time out, ending a three-game winless run in which Argentinos failed to find the back of the net.
© Reuters
As for Liverpool, they started their Libertadores campaign with back-to-back defeats, suffering a 3-0 loss to Corinthians before recording a 2-0 defeat against Independiente del Valle in Ecuador.
However, the Uruguayan club have given themselves a fighting chance of qualifying for the knockouts thanks to a couple of positive results, with the draw against Argentinos preceding a 1-0 home victory over Independiente del Valle.
Jorge Bava's side head into Wednesday's clash on the back of a dramatic 3-2 win against Racing Club, with Rodrigo Rivero scoring the decisive winning goal on 80 minutes to hand his team a third victory in four outings across all competitions.
When you look at the bigger picture, the Montevideo outfit have lost just one of their previous seven matches, picking up four wins and two draws in the process, so they will be hopeful of turning their Libertadores campaign around.
It is worth noting, however, that Liverpool have managed to win only one of their nine away games this season, suggesting that they could struggle when they visit Buenos Aires.
Team News
© Reuters
Argentinos Juniors will be without suspended winger Thiago Nuss on Wednesday after the 22-year-old picked up a straight red card against Corinthians last month.
The hosts will also be without forward Lucas Ambrogio, who has not featured for the club this year as he continues to recover from a ruptured cruciate ligament.
Gabriel Milito is expected to utilise a 3-5-2 formation, with Kevin Mac Allister, Miguel Torren and Leonel Gonzalez lining up in the backline, while Javier Cabrera and Gaston Veron will likely start in attack.
Liverpool have reported no fresh injury problems ahead of Wednesday's showdown, although left-back Agustin Cayetano remains sidelined with a long-term injury.
Having scored all three of Liverpool's Copa Libertadores goals this season, new signing Ruben Bentancourt will continue alongside Alan Medina in attack.
We could see Jorge Bava opt for a 5-3-2 formation on Wednesday, meaning that Cesar Meli, Lucas Lemos and Gonzalo Napoli will operate in midfield.
Argentinos Juniors possible starting lineup:
Arias; Mac Allister, Torren, Gonzalez; Dominguez, Rodriguez, Moyano, Metilli, Montiel; Cabrera, Veron
Liverpool possible starting lineup:
Britos; Martirena, Pereira, Perez, Izquierdo; Meli, Lemos, Napoli; Bentancourt, Medina
We say: Argentinos Juniors 1-0 Liverpool
Having kept three clean sheets across their opening four group games – netting four goals in the process – Argentinos Juniors are expected to notch another low-scoring victory over Liverpool, whose struggles on the road look set to continue.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
