Lanús v Newell’s Old Boys
Copa de la Liga 2021
12th April 2021
🏟️ Estadio Ciudad de Lanús (‘La Fortaleza’), Buenos Aires
Following Arsenal de Sarandí’s 2-3 win over Godoy Cruz on Sunday, Newell’s Old Boys are now the only team in Argentina not to have won a game in the 2021 Copa de la Liga.
Through 8 games that yielded 4 draws and 4 losses, three points have still proved out of reach for the struggling Rosario side.
A manager change has helped the team to stop losing but so far, Germán Burgos’ tactics have been focused on avoiding defeat rather than winning games.
He’s been happy with the team’s progress in the three games played since he took over and he seems confident that a win will eventually be earned.
The next chance to get three points on the board comes on Monday night when Newell’s go to Buenos Aires to take on Luis Zubeldía’s Lanús. El Granate sit comfortably up the other end of the table in second, three points off leaders of Group B, Vélez. They’re the joint-highest goalscorers in the group (15) while Newell’s have scored the fewest goals in the group, managing to hit the net just 7 times so far.
Lanús will have been hurt by a mid-week penalty shootout defeat in the Copa Argentina to Patronato, second from bottom in the Copa’s Group B, and may see the visit of Newell’s as the perfect opportunity to bounce back from that defeat.
Although Newell’s have struggled badly this year, they did score two impressive wins over Lanús at the end of 2020, beating them home and away in last year’s Copa Diego Maradona. There’s been changes to personnel since then, both on the field and off the field, but the biggest change is the drop in confidence that Newell’s have suffered when it comes to attacking play since the team’s last win in December.
Ignacio Scocco has lost his place in the side and new signing Jonatan Cristaldo is yet to hit the net. Newell’s are now relying on their defenders and midfielders to chip in with goals, and both of their goals in last week’s 2-2 draw with Huracán came from wing-backs Franco Negri and Jerónimo Cacciabue.
In the previous game against Atlético Tucumán, it was also defenders on the scoresheet for La Lepra: Cristian Lema and Negri.
Lanús haven’t had such problems up front and José Sand, who turns 41 in July, is still banging in the goals with 4 to his name, and 2 assists, in this campaign so far.
Lanús v Newell’s Old Boys Team News
Franco Negri has passed a fitness test and is available for the game after doubts were raised about his chances of playing during the week.
Julián Fernández is out injured after being taken off in last week’s game but Pablo Pérez is back in the squad after recovering from an achilles tendon injury. Substitute keeper Ramiro Macagno continues his recovery from illness.
Matías Orihuela, Braian Rivero, Mariano Bíttolo, Franco Escobar, Francisco González and Santiago Gentiletti are all on the long-term injury list.
Germán Burgos has called up a number of inexperienced youngsters to the squad to face Lanús. Young striker Brian Aguirre is back in the first-team squad, while Martín Luciano (defender) and Misael Jaime (wide forward) have been called up for the first time.
Julián Marcioni, Nicolás Castro and Ramiro Sordo have been demoted to the Reserves in recent days and all impressed in a 4-6 win over Lanús Reserves on Friday.
Lanús have no injury worries ahead of Monday’s match.
After a rise in COVID-19 cases in the top division of Argentine football, both squads returned negative tests prior to the match.
📺 Watch Lanús v Newell’s Old Boys on Monday 12th April: Live on Fanatiz
⏰ Kick-off: 19.00 ARG | 23.00 UK
