Fifth-bottom Atletico Tucuman play host to Godoy Cruz in round 20 of the Argentine Primera Division at Estadio Jose Fierro on Wednesday.
Both sides are not pulling up trees with their current results, even if the away side are in better shape than their hosts.
Match preview
Atletico Tucuman’s 2-1 loss at Lanus was the seventh of their season and the third reverse in five league games.
That defeat ended El Decano’s two-game unbeaten run, halting any momentum that was starting to develop for Lucas Pusineri’s side.
The lack of goals has been a bugbear for the Tucuman outfit, with 15 goals in 19 games outdoing only two sides in the division — Union and Banfield (both 12).
Pusineri’s men have netted more than one goal in two of 19 games and have not scored two or higher in their last six Primera Division games.
Only Union (eight points) have picked up fewer points at home than Atletico Tucuman’s 10, with just two victories secured in front of their fans this season.
Godoy Cruz are the visitors this time, seeking to prevent back-to-back home wins for their hosts and pick up consecutive league victories.
Daniel Oldra was placed in caretaker charge since April 11, bringing about one defeat in nine fixtures for Tomba, having been beaten in five of their previous eight games.
Two of the last three have been victories, with Tomas Conechny scoring in triumphs against Gimnasia La Plata and Independiente.
However, Oldra’s team have picked up just two road wins from nine away games, a statistic that undermines their prospects in Tucuman.
Despite going four unbeaten on their travels before a 2-0 reverse at Newell’s Old Boys at the end of May, Godoy Cruz’s broader sequence of results away from Mendoza is striking.
Team News
Bruno Bianchi, Marcelo Ortiz and Cristian Menendez have all been injured since May, and the Tucuman trio are not expected to feature in the midweek clash.
Ortiz’s injury means Pusineri should retain the 4-4-2 used in their most recent league fixture against Lanus.
Gianluca Ferrari’s ruptured ligament has ruled out the Godoy Cruz man for the foreseeable future.
Enzo Larrosa should return to the squad after suspension, but there are doubts about centre-back Pier Barrios after his injury-enforced withdrawal against Independiente.
Atletico Tucuman possible starting lineup:
Marchiori; Tesuri, Flores, Cabral, Orihuela; Di Franco, Kociubinski, Sanchez, Pereyra; Coronel, Estigarribia
Godoy Cruz possible starting lineup:
Rodriguez; Arce, Salvareschi, Rasmussen, Meli; Abrego, Leyes; Allende, Lopez, Conechny; Rodriguez