Defensa y Justicia welcome Newell's Old Boys to the Estadio Norberto Tito Tomaghello on Sunday 9 August seeking to arrest a concerning run at home that threatens to derail their Clausura campaign. The hosts arrive on the back of a heavy 3-0 defeat at Estudiantes last weekend — a result that exposed defensive frailties and left the side with just one victory in their last five outings at Gobernador Costa.
The visitors, for their part, have struggled to build consistency on the road, managing only one win in five away matches. Newell's drew 2-2 at home against Boca Juniors on 2 August — a respectable result against one of Argentina's heavyweight clubs — but that result masks an underlying fragility. The side were beaten 1-0 at Independiente on 31 July, a defeat that underlined their vulnerability when travelling.
Defensa y Justicia's home woes
The hosts' form at Gobernador Costa has been alarming. Since late July, they have recorded one win, one draw and three defeats in their last five home fixtures — a record that includes victories over Deportivo Riestra (2-1) but also a draw with Aldosivi (1-1) and a capitulation against Estudiantes. David Barbona has emerged as the creative spark, notching three goals in recent matches and carrying the attacking burden. Barbona netted in the defeats to Estudiantes and drew level against Aldosivi, but his individual brilliance has been insufficient to paper over collective defensive issues.
Defensa y Justicia have not kept a clean sheet in their last ten outings — a statistic that will concern their coaching staff ahead of a Newell's side boasting players capable of exploiting space in transition. Juan Manuel Gutiérrez added a second in the Riestra win, demonstrating the squad has goal-scoring potential when pressing high and catching opponents off guard.
Newell's seeking traction away from home
Newell's arrive in Buenos Aires Province seeking to reverse a troubling away record that has yielded only one win in five outings. The side drew 2-2 against Boca at home — Matías Cóccaro and Luca Regiardo both finding the net in a well-matched encounter — but that came before the Independiente reversal exposed their away-day struggles. Cóccaro has been their standout performer in recent weeks, scoring twice in his last five games and providing precisely the kind of movement and composure in the final third that Newell's need to break down a leaky Defensa y Justicia defence.
Juan Ignacio Ramírez, operating alongside Cóccaro in attack, brings similar threat. The forward has two goals in the run-in and will be eager to punish the hosts' defensive disarray. Newell's beat Talleres Cordoba 1-0 at home on 25 July, Cóccaro's 55th-minute finish proving decisive, but converting that home-ground dominance into away victories remains their primary challenge.
The fixture sits on a knife-edge. Both sides are searching for rhythm and defensive stability, yet neither has the confidence that comes with a recent run of convincing results. Defensa y Justicia's home form is brittle; Newell's have found the road particularly treacherous. A draw at 1-1 feels the most likely outcome in a contest where neither defence is tight enough to suggest a clean sheet, yet both attacks contain sufficient quality to carve out opportunities.
Defensa y Justicia, however, hold a marginal advantage given their home base — provided they tighten their backline and resist the temptation to commit too many bodies forward early. If they can absorb Newell's early pressure and avoid conceding within the opening 30 minutes, Barbona's industry could prove the difference in what promises to be an open, competitive Clausura encounter.