Preview and predictions for the 17th round of games in the Clausura 2011 tournament.
Preview
Last week I got 3/10 results correct but still failed to predict any correct scorelines.
Olimpo will need to win at Arsenal to avoid slipping back into the relegation places but they have never even scored a goal there in their 5 previous Primera División games there. Arsenal are also precariously close to the relegation places and a loss here could concievably leave them in the last relegation place by the end of the weekend.
All Boys have only lost 1 of their previous 9 games however they face a tough tie away at Banfield on Saturday. Banfield are one of the most inconsistent sides in the Clausura but they are capable of beating any side on their day.
Newell's Old Boys are off the bottom of the table for the first time since fecha 9 after Huracán took over at the bottom of the pile. Although they have not managed a home win against San Lorenzo since 2007 I still fancy Newell's to win this tie.
With only three games of the season remaining Quilmes need to win at least 2 of their remaining games to have the slightest chance of avoiding automatic relegation. On Sunday they face a Boca Juniors side that have recovered impressively from their poor start to the season with a seven game unbeaten run in which Martín Palermo has bagged six goals. Quilmes' home record against Boca is pretty poor, they have only won 1 of their last 11 in this fixture.
Gimnasia look set to face yet another relegation playoff but they may still need a few more points to ensure that they avoid automatic relegation at the expense of Huracán. This weekend they face Racing Club who have gradually slipped down the table after an impressive start to the season. Ever since 1998 this fixture has been evenly balanced with 5 wins apieca and 3 draws. Both sides have plenty of motivation, Gimnasia's provided by their fight to avoid automatic relegation and Racing Club are still hoping to qualify for Copa Sudamericana 2011.
Huracán are back in the automatic relegation places after Estudiantes completed their thrashing in midweek and they face a visit from a Tigre side that have clambered away from the relegation zone thanks to only one defeat in their previous seven games. Huracán have lost seven consecutive games and have not experienced victory since a 2-0 win against relegation rivals Gimnasia way back in fecha 7.
River Plate start the weekend in the relegation zone but they should be looking forward to the visit of a Colón side that have lost 4 of their last 5 games however River's recent home record against Colón does not make inspirational reading having drawn 3 and lost 1 in the last 4 times this fixture has been played.
Independiente have made good progress since finishing bottom of the Apertura and look certain to record a decent mid-table finish at the worst. On Monday evening they host Lanús who need the win in order to pile the pressure on title rivals Vélez and Godoy Cruz by establishing a two point lead at the top. Lanús are the form team in the Cluasura having a ten game unbeaten run however Independiente are also enjoying a decent run having won 3 in a row and avoided defeat in their last 6.
Estudiantes won their first game in 13 attempts in midweek however they have not experienced victory in ""la paternal" since 2004. Argentinos Juniors have won their last 3 league games against Estudiantes and need a win in this fixture in order to keep up their chase for a Copa Sudamericana berth.
The last game of the fecha is also the most important with league leaders Vélez Sársfield hosting third placed Godoy Cruz. Vélez have won all of their three previous Primera División games against Godoy Cruz without conceding a single goal but this season Godoy Cruz are one of the best away sides in the league having only lost 1 of their 8 away games so far.
Predictions
As the results come in I will fill in the actual scores and colour code the predicted scores, green for exact score, yellow for correct result and red for completely wrong. Each green score gets three points, each yellow score gets one point and red scores get nothing. If you fancy playing along fill out your predictions in the comments below to see if you can beat mine.
| 03-06-11 | Prediction | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenal | 2-0 | Olimpo | 1-2 |
| 04-06-11 | |||
| Banfield | 3-1 | All Boys | 1-0 |
| Newell's Old Boys | suspended | San Lorenzo | 1-0 |
| 05-06-11 | |||
| Quilmes | 2-2 | Boca Juniors | 2-2 |
| Gimnasia y Esgrima (LP) | 0-0 | Racing Club | 0-0 |
| Huracán | 3-2 | Tigre | 2-3 |
| River Plate | 1-1 | Colón | 1-0 |
| 06-06-11 | |||
| Independiente | 1-2 | Lanús | 1-2 |
| Argentinos Juniors | 0-0 | Estudiantes | 0-0 |
| Vélez Sársfield | 2-0 | Godoy Cruz | 2-0 |
Score: 16 points (best score ever!)
No comments:
Post a Comment