Prediction: River Plate vs Tigre

Verdict: Home team to win to nil

Best odds: 5/6

Bookmaker: Olympusbet

River Plate aim for a fifth straight home win as they host Tigre at the Estadio Mas Monumental in the fourth round of the Argentine Primera Division on Sunday.

El Matador, winless in their last 10 games across all competitions, will enter the weekend determined to break this abysmal streak and kickstart their new league campaign.

River Plate

River Plate concluded their Copa Libertadores group-stage campaign impressively, securing a commanding 2-0 victory over Deportivo Tachira at the Estadio Mas Monumental on Friday morning.

In a match where Jean Gutierrez was sent off, Colombian forward Miguel Borja delivered an outstanding performance, scoring twice in the second half to secure all three points for the hosts. This win ensured River Plate finished unbeaten in Group H, with five wins and one draw from six matches, earning them the top spot with a six-point lead over second-place Nacional.

Domestically, Martin Demichelis’s team has recently struggled, suffering a 1-0 defeat to Argentinos Juniors last Saturday due to a first-half goal by Alan Lescano.

Just three days earlier, River Plate was eliminated from the Copa Argentina in the first round after a surprising penalty shootout loss to second-tier Temperley at the Estadio Malvinas Argentinas.

Demichelis will be hoping that their midweek Copa Libertadores victory will serve as a catalyst for a strong run of results as they aim to return to winning form in the league.

Team News

River Plate will be without former West Ham United player Manuel Lanzini, who is recovering from a foot injury, and Gonzalez Pirez, who is sidelined with a hamstring issue.

Ignacio Fernandez has missed the last two games after sustaining a back injury in the cup defeat to Temperley on May 22nd, and Daniel Zabala has been out since April due to a muscle injury.

Tigre

Tigre were left empty-handed once again as they suffered a 4-0 thrashing by Racing Club at the Estadio Jose Dellagiovanna last Friday.

In a dominant performance, Gaston Martirena, Adrian Martinez, Maximiliano Salas, and substitute Juan Fernando Quintero all scored to secure the visitors’ second league win of the season in style.

Sebastian Dominguez’s team has now lost all but one of their last 10 matches across all competitions since their 1-0 victory over Central Cordoba in March, with a 1-1 draw at Rosario Central on May 21st being the lone exception.

This poor run of results also saw Tigre’s Copa Argentina campaign end early, as they were defeated on penalties by second-division side Club Atletico Chacarita Juniors on May 17.

While Tigre aim to end their slump and kickstart their season, they face the tough task of taking on a side they failed to beat in 14 of their last 18 encounters, with nine defeats and five draws since November 2008.

Team News

Tigre will be missing several players from the core of their team, with Juan Cruz Esquivel (knee), Brahian Aleman (foot), Nahuel Genez (hamstring), and Gian Nardelli (ankle) all still sidelined.

Additionally, Gonzalo Flores and Paraguayan defender Pablo Adorno are recovering from collarbone and groin injuries, respectively, and will also be unavailable for Sunday’s game.

Veteran midfielder Ijiel Protti, who has been out since February 2023 with an Achilles tendon injury, remains out of contention for the visitors as well.

Conclusion

Boosted by their midweek victory, River Plate will return to league action with renewed confidence as they aim to regain their footing. Given Tigre’s current poor form, Demichelis’s side are very likely to secure all three points in front of their home supporters.

Verdict: Home team to win to nil

Best odds: 5/6

Bookmaker: Olympusbet