Argentine Clubs Conclude Pre-Season Friendlies with Mixed Results

As the start of the Torneo Clausura draws near, several teams in Argentina’s Liga Profesional participated in their final pre-season friendly matches over the weekend, showcasing varied levels of readiness. While some clubs secured positive results and built momentum, others revealed areas of concern that will need addressing before the competitive season begins.

Instituto Claims Cordoba Derby Victory

The most significant result of the day saw Instituto defeat local rivals Talleres 2-0 in the Mario Alberto Kempes stadium. Instituto, managed by Diego Flores, displayed a superior performance against La T, securing the derby win with goals from key offensive players Matías Tissera and Alex Luna.

Instituto’s starting lineup included Ledesma; Cerato, Alarcón, Leonel Mosevich, Galván, Sosa; Abregú, Gallardo; Luna, Tissera, and Córdoba. Talleres responded with Unsain; Schott, Fernández, Riquelme, Báez; Cristaldo, Fattori, Galarza; Valoyes, Ronaldo Martínez, and Rick Lima.

Instituto will begin their official campaign by visiting Vélez on Friday, August 24th, while Talleres kicks off their Clausura journey on Saturday, August 25th.

Lanús and Barracas Central Play Out Goalless Draw

In another friendly encounter, Lanús and Barracas Central played out a 0-0 draw. The match, contested over two 25-minute halves, provided both teams with a final test before their league openers.

Mauricio Pellegrino’s Lanús lined up with Nahuel Losada; Tomás Guidara, Carlos Izquierdoz, José Canale, Sasha Marcich; Agustín Medina, Agustín Cardozo; Eduardo Salvio, Franco Watson, Lucas Besozzi; and Yoshan Valois. Barracas Central, coached by Damián Ayude, featured Marcelo Miño; Kevin Jappert, Yonatthan Rak, Nicolás Demartini; Damián Martínez, Tomás Porra, Dardo Miloc, Iván Tapia, Rodrigo Insúa; Norberto Briasco, and Javier Morales.

Both teams will now focus on their upcoming league fixtures. Lanús will host San Lorenzo on Saturday, August 25th, at 21:30, while Barracas Central travels to face River Plate on the same day at 19:15.

Newell’s Old Boys Show Concerning Form Against Lower League Opponent

The most worrying performance of the weekend came from Rosario, where Newell’s Old Boys failed to secure a win against Sportivo Las Parejas, a team from the Torneo Federal A. The friendly, played over two 35-minute halves at the Coloso Marcelo Bielsa, ended in a goalless draw.

Newell’s, under the management of Frank Darío Kudelka, struggled to create significant scoring opportunities, raising doubts ahead of their Clausura debut. The team fielded Gabriel Arias; Franco Escobar, Giannetti, Ian Glavinovich, Martín Luciano; Jerónimo Gómez Mattar, Luca Regiardo, Facundo Guch, Walter Núñez; Sebastián Montero, and Matías Cóccaro.

A minor positive for Newell’s emerged from a concurrent match between reserve players, where Blas Benedetto scored the lone goal in a 1-0 victory. The club will face Talleres in their opening Clausura match.

Key facts

The results of these final pre-season friendlies offer a snapshot of the teams’ preparations for the upcoming Torneo Clausura. While Instituto appears to be in good form after their derby win, Newell’s Old Boys will need to address their offensive struggles. The performance of Lanús and Barracas Central suggests a solid defensive foundation, but questions remain about their attacking output.

Source: https://www.ole.com.ar/futbol-primera/amistosos-talleres-instituto-lanus-newells_0_tvgTYvdadJ.html