Lanus entertain Greater Buenos Aires rivals Banfield on Sunday as the two sides continue to battle at opposite ends of the Argentine Primera Division table.
While the hosts occupy fourth place, the visitors find themselves third from bottom in the standings – 16 points shy of their opponents this weekend.
Match preview
Courtesy of goals from Pedro de La Vega and Franco Orozco, Lanus found themselves 2-0 up against Defensa y Justicia with 75 minutes on the clock, but two late goals from the hosts ensured that last weekend's clash ended in a draw.
Despite seeing just 38% of the ball, Lanus managed to rack up a whopping 21 shots against Defensa y Justicia, but they ended up throwing away two points late on, extending their winless run to two games following a 1-0 defeat to Velez Sarsfield.
It is worth remembering, however, that Frank Kudelka's side enjoyed a run of one loss in 13 league matches between March and June, picking up seven wins and five draws in the process, so they will be confident of returning to winning ways against lowly Banfield.
Plus, Lanus have won six of their previous seven league encounters at La Fortaleza, with eight victories coming in their 11 home league games this season, underlining Granate's strength on home soil.
Banfield, meanwhile, were held to a goalless draw by bottom club Arsenal Sarandi last time out, as Javier Sanguinetti's side registered a solitary attempt on target against the league's basement dwellers.
However, that draw means that El Taladro head into Sunday's showdown on a three-game unbeaten streak, with a 1-0 victory over Argentinos Juniors and a 2-1 win against Tigre preceding last weekend's stalemate.
Given that Banfield endured a run of six defeats in seven matches across May and June – conceding 14 goals during that period – Sanguinetti's men will fancy their chances of getting something from Sunday's clash as the bid to maintain their upturn in form.
That said, Benfield have managed to win only two of their 11 away league outings this term, suffering seven defeats along the way, with four losses coming in their previous five away games in the league.
Team News
Lanus are currently without key defender Jose Canale as the Paraguayan centre-back continues to recover from an arm fracture that has kept him on the sidelines since early May.
Having chalked up 11 goals and three assists in 21 league outings this year, Leandro Diaz will continue to lead the line in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Julian Fernandez and Luciano Boggio anchoring the midfield.
Banfield also have a key centre-back on the treatment table, as Alexis Maldonado has not featured for the club this season due to a serious ligament injury.
Javier Sanguinetti is expected to stick with his favoured 4-1-4-1 formation, meaning that Milton Gimenez will operate as the lone striker, while Eric Remedi will occupy the defensive midfield role.
Lanus possible starting lineup:
Morales; Caceres, Aguilar, Lema, Mino; Boggio, Fernandez; De La Vega, Acosta, Orozco; Diaz
Banfield possible starting lineup:
Cambeses; Coronel, Maciel, Mago, Insua; Remedi; Sosa, Cabrera, Aleman, Bisanz; Gimenez
We say: Lanus 2-0 Banfield
Regardless of Banfield's recent upturn, we expect Lanus to claim all three points on Sunday, picking up a seventh victory in eight home games while inflicting a fifth defeat in six away outings on the visitors.
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