Argentinos Juniors (home)
- Argentinos Juniors are the strong favorites for Monday’s Apertura 2026 opener against Sarmiento at 1.5, with the visitors at 7.3 and the draw at 3.75.
- Argentinos finished near the top in 2025 and were one of the teams challenging for silverware, while Sarmiento were lower-mid table and focused on avoiding relegation battles.
- Nicolás Diez’s side have won three of their last five competitive matches, including a run to the 2025 Copa Argentina final, although they were beaten 1-0 by Boca Juniors in their final league game.
Sarmiento (away)
- They finished the season in solid form with victories over Belgrano and Estudiantes, winning three of their final five.
- Sarmiento’s late 2025 results were mixed and included a series of draws and narrow defeats, with limited attacking output.
- Facundo Sava usually sets up his sides to be compact and defensive, while having enough players in advanced positions to look dangerous on the break.
- Defensive stability is provided by a pair of seasoned centre-backs, Juan Insaurralde and Facundo Roncaglia, who are organised and good in the air.
Head-to-Head
But these two have split the last five meetings pretty evenly, with Sarmiento winning twice, Argentinos once and two draws.
Argentinos Juniors
- Sergio Romero has been recruited for the 2026 season to replace the injured Diego Rodríguez.
- Tomás Molina remains the main finisher at the top of the line-up after scoring some big goals in the Copa Argentina run and will be one to watch, while Alan Lescano provides the anchor in midfield and will be crucial to how the game goes on Monday.
Sarmiento
- Juan Insaurralde and Facundo Roncaglia are the experienced centre-backs who provide defensive stability and are strong in the air.
- Hernán López adds a bit of flair and is a player to watch thanks to his strong late-2025 form and famous football family.
Betting Insights
- The main selection in the full-time result market will be for Argentinos Juniors to defeat Sarmiento.
- Under 2.5 goals will be taken in the goals market.
- Several of their recent meetings have featured 1-0 or 2-0 scorelines, which supports the low-scoring expectation.
Prediction
Our prediction is a 1-0 or 2-0 home win, although a 1-1 draw cannot be ruled out if the road team stays solid at the back.
