Velez Sarsfield Vs. Banfield, Argentine Primera: Velez Secure Victory, Go Four Points Clear At Top Of Primera

It took Velez Sarsfield until the 82nd minute to find a goal in their Argentine Primera match against Banfield, but that’s not a solid indicator of how the half went for them. After a fairly average performance in the first 45 minutes, Velez turned on the style with a spirited performance in the second half, and they’re walking out of the match with a well deserved 2-0 victory. They’re now four points clear at the top of the table in Argentina, and they appear to be well on their way to a title.

Star attacking midfield player Maxi Moralez was subbed into the game in the 61st minute, and his entry changed the game significantly. Velez were the slightly superior side before Moralez came on, but they were dominant in the final 30 minutes. Fabian Cubero scored the opener, assisted by Sebastien Dominguez following a Moralez corner kick, and David Ospina put the icing on the cake with a fantastic goal in stoppage time. Velez now look forward to Copa Libertadores, where they face Libertad on Thursday.

Based on their team selection for tonight’s match against Banfield, it’s pretty obvious that this Thursday’s Copa Libertadores matchup is the priority for manager Roberto Gareca. All of Velez’s first choice front three - Maxi Moralez, Santiago Silva, and Juan Manuel Marquez - are sitting this match out. Moralez is on the bench, while the other two have been left out of the 18. Most of the midfield and defense is first choice, though, so Velez is still taking this match seriously. Here are the lineups.

Velez Sarsfield lineup (4-5-1): Barovero; Papa, Dominguez, Diaz, Tobio; Augusto, Razzotti, Ospina, Alvarez, Cantreros; Vuletich

With their recent results in Copa Libertadores and the Argentine Primera, no one is hotter than Velez Sarsfield. They’ve scored nine goals while allowing none in their last three games in all competitions, they’re into the quarterfinals of Copa Libertadores, and they’re on top of the Primera table with one game in hand. Tonight, they’re the favorites, but they face a formidable challenge in Banfield.

Banfield are sitting smack dab in the middle of the table in Argentina, but they might be up with the title contenders if it wasn’t for a bizarre match last weekend, in which they lost 4-3 to third-bottom Quilmes. Before that match, their defense was one of the best in the country. It will be interesting to see which Banfield team shows up this evening.