Liga Profesional
In the 5th matchday of Phase 2 of the Liga Profesional de Fútbol, Vélez Sarsfield will host Defensa y Justicia at Estadio José Amalfitani. The match will take place in Buenos Aires on August 18, 2026, kicking off at 01:15 (UTC).
Form and Standings
In four matches of Phase 2, Vélez Sarsfield has collected 10 points with 3 wins and 1 draw, scoring 6 goals and conceding just 2, sitting second in this phase with a WWWD record. In the overall season table, they occupy third place with 28 points from 16 matches, though their last five-match form shows a slight dip with LWDDD. Defensa y Justicia sit on 7 points in the same phase with 2 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss, in fourth place; their form of DWLW paints an inconsistent picture. In the general standings, the team sits tenth with 19 points from 16 matches, experiencing a serious decline with an LLLLL record in their last five league matches. Their away statistics are equally concerning for Defensa; they have lost all four of their recent away matches, and have failed to win in 18 of their last 22 away fixtures.
Head-to-Head Record
Of the last eight league matches between the two sides, five have ended in draws. Their most recent meeting was on February 14, 2026, at Defensa y Justicia's home ground, which finished 1-1. Vélez Sarsfield's last home encounter against this opponent ended in a 3-0 victory on August 3, 2024. Looking at the overall statistics, Vélez has 4 wins in this fixture while Defensa has 2; when playing at home, Vélez has won 3 of 11 matches and lost 1. A notable detail: Vélez has scored first in five of their last six home matches, yet in their last seven matches against this opponent, their opponent has scored first in six of them.
Absentees and Expected Lineup
Vélez Sarsfield have one absentee due to a torn ACL. Both teams are expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation. In Vélez's expected eleven, names like Elías Gómez, Emanuel Mammana, Manuel Lanzini, Matías Pellegrini, Rodrigo Aliendro and Lucas Robertone stand out, while Defensa y Justicia are expected to field Juan Gutiérrez, Santiago Sosa, Domingo Blanco and Leandro Fernández. Julio César Vaccari and Guillermo Barros Schelotto will be opposite numbers in the technical areas. Weather conditions on match day are forecast to be partly cloudy with a temperature of 13.46 degrees.
Data-Driven Forecast
xGOT data highlights Juan Gutiérrez from Defensa y Justicia (0.87) as the standout performer in head-to-head matchups, while Matías Pellegrini (0.72) emerges as Vélez's most productive player against this opponent. The fact that Vélez have been unbeaten in 19 of their last 23 league matches and frequently score first at home signals an advantage for the home side. However, the frequency with which draws appear in the head-to-head record keeps the possibility of a balanced contest on the pitch firmly in play.