- Gimnasia and Midland both enter their first Primera Nacional fixture after giant-killing cup wins.
- Gimnasia (4-4-2) will attempt to exploit its width and two-striker formation against Midland’s compact 4-5-1.
- The game looks set to be won or lost in transitions and set-pieces with a likely home victory.
Midland’s morale is massive after cup win
Ferrocarril Midland enter this historic first ever Primera Nacional clash with their morale sky high after causing an upset against Primera Division Argentinos Juniors in the Copa Argentina.
El Rojo drew 1 - 1 and then won on penalties against the Buenos Aires giants. Goalkeeper Mauro Leguiza was a hero, keeping his cool in the shootout.
Joaquín Iturrería’s team has been built on long clean-sheet streaks in Primera B Metropolitana by Lautaro Maldonado, with Eugenio Olivera and Francisco Molina adding goals and creativity. They have momentum coming into this clash after promotion and a 4 - 0 thumping of Fénix prior to their cup win, which makes our Gimnasia Y Esgrima de Jujuy vs Ferrocarril Midland prediction even more intriguing.
Gimnasia are experienced, well organised and strong on set-pieces
Gimnasia Y Esgrima de Jujuy will try to put pressure on the new boys early in the season and build some momentum under new manager Hernán Pellerano. The former club legend has brought order and experience to a team preparing for the new season and won’t be fazed by this contest.
Milton Álvarez is an experienced goalkeeper who kept his cool in the shootout last weekend after a 2 - 2 draw with Central Córdoba. Maximiliano Casa is a specialist from set-piece situations, notching once and assisting the winner in Copa Argentina, while Mauro Cachi adds a bit of flair to the attack.
Our Gimnasia Y Esgrima de Jujuy vs Ferrocarril Midland preview sees Gimnasia as likely winners, but Midland is good enough to deny them a comfortable win.
Gimnasia Y Esgrima de Jujuy are the clear favourites at 1.74 to Midland’s 5.0, with the draw coming in at 3.08, which seems very low to us.
Gimnasia’s recent form is mixed, with a cup win over a top-flight club, a league win over Chacarita, but losses to Deportivo Madryn and San Telmo.
For Gimnasia Y Esgrima de Jujuy vs Ferrocarril Midland betting tips, it's worth noting that Midland are a solid team with their promotion run anchored around long clean-sheet runs and they will be very tough to break down. Gimnasia are in great shape for a 1-0 or 2-0 home win, but Midland’s cup form suggests an upset could be on the cards or, at least, that a lower-stakes draw isn’t out of the question.
Set-pieces and defensive concentration likely to dominate
We’re going to take Under 2.5 Goals at 1.38 because these two sides are defensively minded and neither will be throwing caution to the wind. Stormy weather and a wet pitch could slow the game down and make set-pieces even more crucial, but even on a good pitch, we don’t think there will be more than two goals on offer.
The Gimnasia Y Esgrima de Jujuy vs Ferrocarril Midland prediction also indicates that Gimnasia will be the more adventurous of the two teams, but both sides are likely to sit deep and look for their best chance on set-pieces. We expect the contest to be decided by the team that deals with the ball best and is the most clinical in transition, which should favour the home side.
