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Velez Sarsfield and River Plate meet in the Prem! Catch the Primera Division odds series here, featuring our Velez Sarsfield-River Plate prediction, pick, and guide on how to watch.
Velez (3-8-5) is having a terrible start in Argentina's Liga Professional. El Fortin is still trying to find some rhythm in their domestic league, with an eight-game winless streak still active since their 4-0 win against Central Cordoba.
River Plate (13-1-3), meanwhile, is having a phenomenal season, still retaining their spot in the top of the league. River Plate has only conceded nine goals in 17 games played, and they are hoping to build on their two-game unbeaten run.
Here are the Velez Sarsfield-River Plate soccer odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
Primera Division Odds: Velez Sarsfield-River Plate Odds
CA Velez Sarsfield: +300
CA River Plate: -110
Draw: +220
Over 2.5 Goals: +116
Under 2.5 Goals: -164
How to Watch Velez Sarsfield vs. River Plate
TV: TyC Sports Internacional
Stream: VIX+, Paramount+, AFA Play, Fanatiz International, Onefootball
Time: 8:30 PM ET / 5:30 PM PT
*Watch soccer LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Velez Sarsfield Can Beat River Plate
El Fortin is going through a rough patch in the season after failing to win any of their last eight matches. Acquiring just 17 points across 16 games, this has not been a good start for Velez in Argentina's top flight. The Fort is aptly placed in the fourth-lowest rank of the league table, scoring just 16 goals and conceding 15 in their 3-8-5 record. Velez is just ahead of Banfield, Arsenal de Sarandi, and Union on the ladder.
Vélez Sarsfield prepares for this fixture following on from a 0-0 Superliga-drawn game against Rosario Central. In that match, Vélez Sarsfield had 47% possession and 13 shots on goal with two of them on target. Rosario Central had seven shots at goal with 2 on target. Both teams had just tallied under 360 passes. Five players for Rosario had yellow cards while Lucas Janson, Abiel Osorio, and Diego Godin were the recipients in Velez's side.
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Under three goals per match were seen in five of the last six meetings where Vélez Sarsfield has been involved. Breaking down the goal attribution in that period, their opponents scored an aggregate of five, and Vélez Sarsfield totted up one. Velez should try to break away from this pattern and they must need to register north of their averages of 9.9 total shots, 13.6 successful dribbles, and 4.0 corners per game.
Coach Ricardo Gareca should continue to rely on Lucas Janson who has four goals to lead the team. Elias Cabrera tops the squad with two assists. Walter Bou, Abiel Osorio, and Lucas Protto have combined for nine-goal involvements. Gianluca Prestianni and Julian Fernandez also combined for four goals and assists.
Juan Ignacio Méndez (Peroneus tendon injury), Nicolás Garayalde (Peroneus tendon injury), and Santiago Cáseres (Ankle Surgery) are unavailable. Valentin Gomez will also be absent as he is called to the national team. Velez should try to improve on their 10th game in the Jose Amalfitani stadium, where they currently have a 2-6-1 record, scoring 12 goals and acquiring 12 points.
Why River Plate Can Beat Velez Sarsfield
River Plate continues to build on its reputation as the best club in Argentina, as they are currently five points ahead of second-placed San Lorenzo. Aside from the domestic league, Los Millionarios is also competing in the Copa Argentina, Trofeo de Campeones de la Liga Profesional, and the CONMEBOL Libertadores in South America.
In the game prior to this, River Plate drew 1-1 in the Copa Libertadores tie with Sporting Cristal. River Plate had 62% ball possession and tallied 20 total shots, six shots on target, seven corner kicks, and 82% passing accuracy. However, they were not able to produce several goals, as the only scorer from River Plate was Rodrigo Aliendro (84′). Yoshimar Yotún (63′) scored for Sporting Cristal.
The stats tell the story, and River Plate has been scored against in five of their last six games, seeing their opponents hit 10 goals overall. Defensively, River Plate has been far from perfect. This might be due to the numerous tournaments that River Plate has entered, but back in the league, River Plate has only allowed nine goals in 17 matches. They have kept 11 clean sheets and make averages of 15.9 tackles, 8.4 interceptions, 16.1 clearances, and 1.9 saves.
On the offensive end, this is where the team shines. They have delivered 29 goals and 16 assists across 17 fixtures played, thanks to averages of 15.9 total shots, 12.8 successful dribbles, 5.8 corner kicks, 5.5 shots on target, and 63.1% ball possession with 82.8% passing accuracy. Luca Beltran leads the team with five goals, while Nacho Fernandez, Esequiel Barco, and Miguel Borja have four for each of them. Milton Casco has four assists to lead the squad while Pablo Solari has three. At least 14 players have scored or assisted for River Plate this season.
River Plate manager Martín Demichelis has some current player fitness concerns. David Martínez (Patella problems), Emanuel Mammana (Knee Injury), and Bruno Zuculini (Partial damage to the cruciate ligament) will not be making appearances. Salomon Rondon will also watch the game on the sidelines as he serves his red card suspension. River Plate will keep its focus on scoring on goals and maintaining the best away record, where they have a 6-1-2 record, scored 14 goals, and have a +9 goal differential.
Final Velez Sarsfield-River Plate Prediction & Pick
Velez will have an opportunity to pound on the champions, who are struggling as of late. However, River Plate's offensive numbers far outmatch that of Velez.
Final Velez Sarsfield-River Plate Prediction & Pick: River Plate (-110), Over 2.5 goals (+116)
