“Taladro” will be hosting at home tonight. They had a terrible Apertura, finishing last in Group A, which condemned them to fight for relegation. Although their campaign in the second semester has been better, with 17 points and a chance to qualify, the team led by Pedro Troglio has not forgotten about the relegation battle. They are four points from the relegation zone with nine games to play, so the Clásico presents a double opportunity: if they win, they secure survival and end the matchday in the playoff zone. With some important wins so far this tournament, including a great comeback against Estudiantes at home (3-2) and a 1-0 victory away to Independiente, Banfield comes off a four-match winless streak after beating Independiente Rivadavia away. However, financial issues have marked the club's week, as the players did not show up for training last Monday due to some of them being owed up to three months in wages. Historically, the “Taladro” holds a significant advantage: in 132 meetings, Banfield has won 52, Lanús has won 41, and they have drawn 39 times. The referee will be Facundo Tello, with Lucas Novelli in charge of the VAR. Lanús will visit Banfield tonight for a Clásico del Sur that promises to be passionate due to the opposite situations the two teams find themselves in. In one of the country's most passionate and thrilling duels, the match between “Granate” and the home “Taladro” will begin at 9:15 PM this Monday. A possible win for Lanús would bring them closer to the top of Zone B and reaffirm their excellent current position, as they are qualified for the Copa Sudamericana final, while winning the Clásico would be a game-changer for Banfield, saving them from relegation and putting them in the playoff zone. The Clásico del Sur of the Buenos Aires suburbs is a match no Argentine football fan wants to miss. The largest victory also favored the albiverdes, with a memorable 5-0 in the 2008 Clausura, while the last match, at the Néstor Díaz Pérez stadium, ended in a 1-1 draw, with goals from Eduardo Salvio (from a penalty for the home side) and Gerónimo Rivera (for the visitors). The match will be played at the Florencio Sola stadium, on Peña and Arenales, and will be unique for being played on a Monday, as Lanús played in the Sudamericana semi-final last Thursday and the AFA prioritized their rest. While Lanús arrives in better form, the derby is always unpredictable. The team coached by Mauricio Pellegrino had a good Torneo Apertura, reaching the round of 16, but certain deficiencies in their game were not fully satisfying to their fans. Everything changed with the start of the second semester: “Granate” signed Rodrigo Castillo from Gimnasia, who quickly replaced striker Walter Bou and began to pay back with goals. His 10 goals in just 22 matches, including the one that qualified them for the 2025 Sudamericana final, have given Lanús a boost. They have maintained the defensive solidity they showed in the first half of the year and climbed the standings. Before the Clásico, “Granate” is in third place in Zone B with 26 points, maintains a 10-match unbeaten streak with only five goals against, and is in the Sudamericana final, having eliminated Fluminense of Brazil and the University of Chile, among others. Banfield's current situation, on the other hand, is not the best.
