Gimnasia (home)
- Jujuy’s Gimnasia won their Copa Argentina Round of 32 game at Central Córdoba 5-4 on penalties after a 2-2 draw.
- The home side were in the ascendancy during the game with a goal and an assist from set-piece specialist Maximiliano Casa and another from Mauro Cachi.
- However, the visitors levelled in stoppage time before Gimnasia’s shot-stopper Milton Álvarez kept his cool to make crucial saves in the shootout, proving to be their hero.
- They beat Chacarita in their last league outing, but lost to Deportivo Madryn and San Telmo earlier in the season.
- New boss Hernán Pellerano, a club legend, looks to have instilled some structure into his team with the 4-4-2 formation well-organised and capable of transitioning quickly from defence to attack.
Midland (away)
- Midland stunned Primera A side Argentinos Juniors on penalties in the Copa Argentina after a 1-1 tie.
- The hero of that one was goalkeeper Mauro Leguiza, who emerged as a penalty shootout hero.
- Midland have come up from the Primera B Metropolitana on the back of a brilliant run last season and their 4-0 thrashing of Fénix was followed by the cup win over Argentinos Juniors.
Head-to-Head
These clubs have never played each other in a national competition, so this Primera Nacional 2026 opener is a mystery.
Key Players
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Players to watch:
- The home side were in the ascendancy during the game with a goal and an assist from set-piece specialist Maximiliano Casa and another from Mauro Cachi.
- However, the visitors levelled in stoppage time before Gimnasia’s shot-stopper Milton Álvarez kept his cool to make crucial saves in the shootout, proving to be their hero.
- The hero of that one was goalkeeper Mauro Leguiza, who emerged as a penalty shootout hero.
- Midland, who play a high-density 4-5-1, are tough to beat with coach Joaquín Iturrería’s men built on the platform of long clean-sheet runs by Lautaro Maldonado.
- Eugenio Olivera and Francisco Molina provided attacking contributions while the defence was solid and the midfield packed, making them very tough to break down.
Betting Insights
- Gimnasia are the clear favorites here at 1.74, while the visitors are given a 5.0 chance of pulling off an upset in this opener.
- The draw is priced at 3.08 and we feel it has plenty of value given the momentum both sides are on.
- The Under 2.5 Goals market at 1.38 looks like a value bet with both teams pretty rigid in their tactics and pragmatic enough to sit back when the odds are not in their favour.
Prediction
- Gimnasia should take the win here at home, but as the momentum is with both clubs and Midland’s form is stronger, we wouldn’t be surprised if the draw or even a shock win was on the cards.
- Our main selection is for a narrow home win, but we are adding a couple of correct score bets for 1-0 and 2-0 wins for Gimnasia in the exact score market as it looks likely to be decided by set-pieces and transitions.
