Out-of-form Banfield faces another tricky test in the 21st round of the Argentine Primera Division as Julio Cesar Falcioni’s men face a Belgrano side that has a very impressive home record.
Banfield has one of the leakiest defenses in the league, which could lead to a back-and-forth affair Monday. Bookmaker 10bet is offering odds at 2.05 for both teams to score at El Gigante de Alberdi, while the odds are at 1.71 for both teams not to score.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: June 25th, 7:00 P.M. (EST)
In 20 games, Banfield has conceded 26 goals and the defensive shortcomings have made it a very difficult season for the team right from the off. The campaign started with a six-game run without a win and there’s been very little to cheer for, with Banfield sitting third from bottom with only four wins and 18 points.
The points have been really tough to come by for Banfield in the most recent weeks as the team has lost five of its last six league outings. The club hoped to get a new manager bounce, but Falcioni, who was hired on May 9, has done even poorer than his predecessor Javier Sanguinetti.
Belgrano hasn’t performed too well either recently, winning only once in the past five league games, but the team plays with great confidence on home turf and should feel good about its chances for three points against a side that has scored a league-low 13 goals.
Across the last five home games, Belgrano has dropped just two points while keeping four clean sheets and there’s been only one home defeat for El Pirata all season. Manager Guillermo Farre must feel over the moon with what he’s seeing as Belgrano hadn’t been a top-flight club for years before he led the team promotion last season.
Belgrano has scored just four goals more than Banfield, but with 17 goals conceded in 20 games, the side from Cordoba has one of the best defensive records in the league. At home, Belgrano has given up just four goals all season, which shows you that it’s very tough to break down Farre’s defensive setup.
And while Belgrano continues to rack up clean sheets, Pablo Vegetti keeps banging in the goals at the other end of the pitch. The 34-year-old is probably playing the best football of his lengthy career right now, having netted 11 times in 20 appearances. Only Talleres’ Michael Santos (12) has managed more goals in the Argentine top flight this season.
