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Steffen Schmidt - July 12, 2021
River Plate vs Argentinos Juniors
Copa Libertadores,
Date: Thursday, 15 July 2021
Kick-off 01:30 UK/ 02:30 CET
Venue: Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti.
River Plate host Argentinos Juniors in the first leg of the all-Argentinean Copa Libertadores tie on Wednesday evening at Estadio Monumental.
The two former Copa Libertadores champions are set to lock horns in an exciting round of 16 double header.
River Plate are the much more famous, popular, and successful team, and they will enter this clash as heavy favorites both on the evening and over two legs.
The hosts have won the elite South American continental competition four times so far, most recently in 2018.
They were stopped by Brazilian Palmeiras (latter winners) in the semifinal last season (2-3 on aggregate).
River Plate had a very tough group in this term of Copa Libertadores. However, they managed to secure the second-place finish with just one defeat in six outings (it came in the very last round) against Fluminense, Junior, and Independiente del Valle.
Argentinos Juniors returned to the elite competition after a decade-long absence.
They also had a pretty tough group, but it did not prevent them from clinching four wins in six games and progressing through in some style.
The rock-solid defense is the key to success for the team led by Gabriel Milito (a former center-back for Barcelona) and Diego Castagno.
Argentinos Juniors did not concede a single goal in their four wins so far in the campaign. They only allowed three goals in total in the group phase.
The draw has been the most common of the outcomes in the clashes between these two sides over the course of history.
It happened 14 times in 33 games. River Plate have 10 wins, while Argentinos Juniors sit on 9 at the moment.
Only 1 of the last 13 head to head encounters between the two outfits produced three or more goals.
Argentinos Juniors picked up a narrow 0-1 victory when they last visited Estadio Monumental in mid-March this year (in the Copa de la Liga Profesional clash).
The bookmakers see River Plate as 1.44 favorites to come on top in this first leg, but we truly struggle to find any value there. River Plate are winless in five subsequent games against Argentinos Juniors (four of which have ended in draws, though) and they did not show an amazing attacking form in the group phase of Copa Libertadores either.
We feel the stubborn back line of Argentinos Juniors’ should be well capable of keeping hold of River Plate’s forwards here. The value is fantastic with the visitors to avoid a defeat at the odds of 2.62. The Under 2.5 goals FT should be a banker bet at the 1.85 odds, though.
