Alright, let's talk turkey about this upcoming match between Platense and River Plate. Now, what stands out right off the bat here aren't the flashy forwards, but the men making the saves. Goalkeepers, folks. River Plate's Franco Armani, he's alright with a 6.70 rating and 4 saves. Platense's Juan Cozzani, though, now he's the hot stuff with that 7.03 rating and 10 saves. This matchup is turning into a good old-fashioned goalkeeping battle.
Looking at the roster, River Plate has a stronger lineup, spearheaded by the likes of Leandro González Pírez and Manuel Lanzini. González Pírez, he's a brick wall with a 7.55 rating, 1 goal, and 77.5 pass accuracy. Lanzini is the playmaker, boasting a 7.30 rating, 1 goal and admirable pass accuracy at 86.0%.
On the other side of the pitch, Platense shouldn't be taken lightly. Guido Mainero's been setting the field on fire as of late with 2 goals and a 7.17 rating. Sasha Marcich is another standout despite no recent goals, his 7.40 player rating isn't to be dismissed lightly.
But it's not just about individual talent, is it? Team performance matters too, folks. Taking a gander at the regular season records, they're pretty neck-and-neck. River Plate has 6-6-4, and Platense isn't trailing far behind with a 5-5-6 record.
Recent results are what's really interesting. River Plate is coming off a loss against Talleres but had a noteworthy victory over Boca Juniors recently. Meanwhile, Platense seems to be maintaining a solid defense with only one recent loss but hasn't shown strong offensive capabilities.
Taking all this into account, let's make the prediction that should have you placing your bets, shall we?
Albert’s Prediction: River Plate by 1