Tuesday, July 1

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Sports Mole previews Sunday's Copa Diego Maradona clash between Gimnasia Mendoza and Independiente, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

The rescheduled Copa Argentina round of 32 clash between second-tier outfit Gimnasia Mendoza and Primera Division side Independiente will now take place this Sunday at Estadio Provincial Juan Gilberto Funes.

Originally scheduled for June 4, the encounter was postponed due to its clash with the FIFA international break, a factor which impacted player availability.

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Match preview

With ample time to reset and recover, Independiente head into this tie well-rested, having not played since May 28, when they demolished Bolivian side Nacional Potosi 7-0 in the Copa Sudamericana to finish top of Group A and earn direct passage to the round of 16.

That emphatic win served as the perfect response to their disappointment in the Apertura championship round, where El Rojo were knocked out at the semi-final stage on penalties by Huracan.

Having progressed in one competition while falling short in another, it remains to be seen whether Sunday’s meeting with Gimnasia marks another step towards chasing a potential double or the end of one more path.

El Rojo reached this phase of the Copa Argentina for an eighth consecutive season, having seen off Sportivo Belgrano 2-0 back in February.

Gimnasia Mendoza also booked their place in the round of 32 courtesy of a 2-0 victory over Nueva Chicago and will now attempt to better last season’s run, which ended at this same stage.

The Mendocinos are bidding to reach the round of 16 for just the second time in their history, hoping to emulate their 2017 campaign when they achieved that feat for the first time.

Their place in the 2025 edition was secured following a fourth-place finish in Primera Nacional Zone B during the '2024' season, although Gimnasia Mendoza narrowly missed promotion to the top flight after losing 2-0 to San Martin de San Juan in the playoff final.

Diego Pozo’s men appear to be treading a similar path this term, currently occupying the same position following three successive draws – including a recent 1-1 result against Talleres – though the Mendocinos now find themselves unbeaten in six (W2, D4), which suggests they may not be easily brushed aside in this cup tie.

 

Gimnasia Mendoza Copa Diego Maradona form:

Gimnasia Mendoza form (all competitions):

Independiente Copa Diego Maradona form:

Independiente form (all competitions):

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Team News

Gimnasia Mendoza emerged from their draw against Talleres without any fresh injury concerns, meaning Pozo will have a wide selection to choose from.

However, 25-year-old forward Nicolas Romano remains sidelined with a ligament injury and is not expected to return until August.

Had the fixture gone ahead on its original date, Independiente would have been without Felipe Loyola and Luciano Cabral, both of whom were with the Chilean national team, while Gabriel Avalos had also been called up by Paraguay, but all three are now available. 

Head coach Julio Vaccari is expected to field a similar line-up to the one that cruised past Nacional Potosi using a 4-2-3-1 setup, although Avalos may come in to lead the line ahead of Matias Gimenez Rojas.

 

Gimnasia Mendoza possible starting lineup:

Rigamonti; Cortez, Mondin, Gonzalez, Saavedra; Munoz, Antonio; Cingolani, Puch, Lencioni, Ferreyra 

Independiente possible starting lineup:

Rey; Vera, Lomocano, Valdez, Irastorza; Marcone; Montiel, Loyola, Cabral, Tarza; Avalos 

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We say: Gimnasia Mendoza 0- 2 Independiente

 

Independiente are clear favourites to advance, given the gulf in quality between both squads, though Gimnasia will be determined to leave a mark and push their more illustrious opponents all the way.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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