Almirante Brown (home)
- Almirante Brown are a much more pragmatic unit under Rodrigo Alonso, who sets his team up in a deep 4-4-2 block with players who are capable of playing in different roles.
- Alonso is not a coach that allows his side to be overrun in the midfield battle and his team can be very dangerous on the counterattack.
- Almirante’s defensive trio of Villoldo, Dáttola and Levi are usually solid enough, but have not managed to keep a clean sheet in away fixtures.
- The hosts have struggled against Defensores in this competition, but it’s been a tough start to the new 2026 campaign for them with two wins, two draws and two defeats in their opening six matches.
Defensores de Belgrano (away)
- Defensores, who are undefeated in their six Primera Nacional matches this season, are playing their best soccer when they can keep possession and control the flow of the game in the middle third.
- They press in midfield, but coach Fabián Nardozza has his side well organised and very difficult to break down.
- Defensores’ central defenders are as solid as a rock with goalie Alejandro Medina keeping things tidy at the back, although they can be vulnerable to quick counters.
- The line-up is set up to protect the back four with Enzo González and Ezequiel Aguirre supplying the creativity in the final third for Facundo Pons, who has emerged as their top scorer this term.
- Defensores have shown they can handle the away challenges in this division, taking maximum points at Los Andes and Estudiantes (BA) in recent weeks.
Head-to-Head
- Defensores de Belgrano have won three of the last five meetings, including a 3-0 victory in September 2024.
- Almirante Brown have been inconsistent, taking just one win from the last five head-to-heads and failing to score in three of those matches.
Key Players
- Bruno Galván is a dependable keeper who has been keeping his Almirante Brown side in games with some big saves this term.
- Alejandro Medina has been keeping things tidy at the back for Defensores.
- Facundo Pons has emerged as Defensores’ top scorer this term.
- Enzo González and Ezequiel Aguirre supply the creativity in the final third for Defensores.
Betting Insights
- The home side are the slight favorites at 2.46, while the visitors are favored at 3.4, and the tie is at 2.5, but it’s the ‘unders’ that really grab the attention at 1.22.
- The game could be decided by whichever team wins the set-piece battles - which will be plentiful - and the transition play that follows.
Prediction
- Almirante Brown de Lules and CA Defensores de Belgrano could produce a classic Primera Nacional tussle on Sunday with little to choose between them at Fragata Presidente Sarmiento.
- The home supporters will be out in force on Sunday and the potential for an autumn storm to disrupt play could add to the difficulty of the matchup for visitors.
- Defensores have shown they can handle the away challenges in this division, and we see them grinding out a 1-1 draw or a 0-1 win against an inconsistent Almirante Brown.
