River Plate host Aldosivi on Saturday morning in the second round of the Argentine Cup. Given Aldosivi's poor recent form and dreadful head-to-head record in this matchup, the visitors look set for another defeat.
As one of Argentina's traditional giants, River Plate's quality is beyond doubt. The team have been in solid overall form lately, posting 3 wins, 2 draws and 1 defeat in their last six matches in all competitions. That run includes a 3-0 Copa Sudamericana win over Boca Juniors, a 2-0 league victory against Gimnasia, and a 2-2 draw with Flamengo in a friendly, showing balance at both ends of the pitch. M. Salas has been in excellent form in cup competition, scoring twice in his last three Copa Sudamericana matches, and he is likely to be a key figure in River's push for victory.
With their pedigree, varied attacking threat and overwhelming historical edge in this fixture, River Plate appear to hold all the cards.
Aldosivi, by contrast, have been in extremely poor shape. In their last six Argentine Primera Division matches, they have managed only 3 draws and 3 defeats, with no sign of real momentum. Even more worrying is their record against River Plate: they have lost each of the last five meetings, conceding at least two goals every time, while averaging only 0.6 goals scored per game themselves. Both offensively and defensively, they have been comprehensively outmatched in this matchup. With Aldosivi also stuck in a run of consecutive away defeats, this trip looks very difficult for them.