Gimnasia
- El Lobo Albi won a morale-boosting Copa Argentina shootout last week and then began the league campaign with a 2-1 home win over Midland, but a 3-1 away defeat at Chacarita was a setback.
- Nonetheless, Hernán Pellerano’s men are in the upper half of Zona B after two games played and they will feel they can overcome Quilmes, who are languishing near the bottom of the table.
- Cristian Menéndez got a brace in Gimnasia’s opening league win over Midland and will be the focal point of their attack again on Sunday.
- Guillermo Cosaro anchors the home team’s defense with authority and organization.
Quilmes
- Quilmes will need to improve their conversion rate in front of goal after scoring few goals in their early matches and they lack a natural goal scorer like Gimnasia, who have the experience of Cristian Menéndez up top.
- Gonzalo Marinelli will have to be in form in goal for Quilmes to keep the veteran Gimnasia strikers at bay and, in Alexis Domínguez and Agustín Lavezzi, they have two forwards who can get at defenders.
Head-to-Head
Four of the last five competitive encounters have gone Quilmes’ way, including a 2-1 win in May 2024 and a 2-0 victory at Gimnasia’s home turf in October 2024.
Key Players
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Gimnasia:
- Cristian Menéndez - scored a brace in the opening league win.
- Guillermo Cosaro - defensive organizer.
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Quilmes:
- Gonzalo Marinelli - will need to be sharp in goal.
- Alexis Domínguez - attacking option.
- Agustín Lavezzi - attacking option.
Betting Insights
- Gimnasia are the slight favorites to win this Primera Nacional fixture (1.73), but visitors Quilmes are still priced as 5.47 underdogs with the draw at 2.95.
- Given the early-season lack of goals for both sides, the Under 2.5 goals market is attractive at 1.33.
- Gimnasia’s momentum from the cup win and Quilmes’ unsettled state after managerial upheaval are both relevant factors.
Prediction
This game will probably be a close contest but, given the lack of goals in the early games for both sides, we will take the Under 2.5 goals market at 1.33 rather than a Gimnasia win.
