On Wednesday night, San Lorenzo will be aiming to secure their second consecutive win in the Argentine Primera Division as they travel to face Racing Club.
The away team are battling towards the top of the league, but they will need to be wary of dropping even more points against the hosts, who are unbeaten in their last five league games.
Match preview
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After finishing as runners-up in the Argentine Primera Division last season, the Buenos Aires club have found the going much tougher this time around in the 2023 campaign.
A period of eight games without a win in April and May, which included a four-game losing streak, has had a detrimental impact on Racing's performance in the top flight this season.
As a result, they currently occupy 15th place in the table, but recent positive showings have given Fernando Gago's men hope of climbing up the standings, especially considering the narrow points difference with the teams directly above them.
Perhaps the biggest reason for Racing Club's woes so far this season has been their defensive issues, with the team conceding 30 goals across their first 22 matches, the joint-most in the league equal with the bottom-placed side.
However, Gago seems to have successfully addressed this issue in recent games, as demonstrated by their clean sheet victories over Colon and Nublense, indicating significant defensive improvement.
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San Lorenzo managed to bounce back to winning ways in the league last time out, overcoming Rosario Central 1-0 in a hard-fought contest at the Estadio Pedro Bidegain.
That result will have brought a sense of immense relief to Ruben Insua's team, as they had gone winless in the four matches prior to Saturday's encounter, drawing three and scoring only once during that period.
Indeed, one of the main challenges for the Saints this season has been their ability to get on the scoresheet; they have managed the second-fewest number of goals (21) among the top 10 teams in the league.
Despite their struggles in front of goal this term, San Lorenzo currently find themselves in third place in the Primera Division, level on points with second-placed Talleres, and they will now be looking to close the nine-point gap between themselves and league leaders River Plate.
Key to this will be maintaining their defensive brilliance, as the 2013 Primera Division winners have conceded a mere eight goals in their 22 league outings to date, making them by far the team with the best defence in the top flight this season.
Team News
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Racing Club are on the verge of welcoming long-term absentee Emiliano Vecchio back to first-team action, with the midfielder targeting a return to the squad in early July after suffering an ACL injury that has seen him sidelined since October 2022.
Another member of the squad, Johan Carbonero, is also dealing with a cruciate ligament injury, but the winger is not anticipated to be available for selection for the hosts until November at the earliest.
Gago seems to have found the winning formula for his defence with consecutive clean sheets in their last two matches, and it is likely that he will maintain the same backline for the upcoming clash.
With no significant injury concerns, Insua will likely opt against making alterations to a San Lorenzo side that have claimed back-to-back victories in their last two outings in all competitions.
Following his return to the starting lineup in recent games, midfielder Malcom Braida has been the standout player for the Saints, scoring two goals and providing an assist, and is expected to retain his place in the side.
Racing Club possible starting lineup:
Tagliamonte; Mura, Aviles, Piovi; Nardoni, Moreno, Gomez, Rojas; Oroz, Romero, Hauche
San Lorenzo possible starting lineup:
Batalla; Perez, Gattoni, Hernandez; Giay, Maroni, Campi, Braida; Leguizamon, Barrios, Bareiro
We say: Racing Club 2-1 San Lorenzo
Despite San Lorenzo's recent return to winning ways in the league, their overall impressive season seems to be faltering, while Racing Club have been in brilliant form, securing significant victories in their last two matches. The hosts have a slight advantage in this clash, which should give them the edge to secure all three points.
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