Preview: Racing Club vs San Martin de San Juan - prediction, team news, lineups

In a rematch from the 2021 Copa Argentina second round, San Martin de San Juan will seek a little payback on Racing Club on Wednesday when the two sides meet in that same stage of the tournament at Estadio Provincial Juan Gilberto Funes.

El Primer Grande got past Ramon Santamaria in the opening round 2-0, while San Martin won a nervy penalty shootout against Gimnasia y Esgrima de Jujuy (3-0) in a match which ended goalless after normal time.

Match preview

For a fourth successive occasion at the Copa Argentina, Racing Club are into the second round, having no real trouble with Ramon Santamaria, finding a breakthrough late in the opening half and easing through from there.

While getting to this stage has not been a problem for them, making it beyond this point has been, with the club from Avellaneda exiting this tournament in the second round in two of the previous three campaigns.

Since the middle of April, they have been among the most consistent sides in Argentina, losing just one game across all competitions since Atletico Bucaramanga beat them 2-1 on matchday two of the Copa Libertadores group stage.

Gustavo Costas’s men have won their last two competitive fixtures as the home team, without a single goal conceded in either of those contests and scoring a combined five goals themselves.

Over the past three months, Racing Club have a 100% record when netting the opening goal in a competitive match, with their previous defeat in that scenario coming in March at Independiente Rivadavia (2-1).

La Academia are unbeaten in 11 consecutive meetings against San Martin de Juan, including a 4-1 triumph on penalties in this phase of the Copa Argentina in 2021, in a thrilling match which ended 2-2 after normal time.

San Martin were pushed to the limit against second-tier side Gimnasia in March but held their nerve when it mattered most, converting each of their penalties while failing to concede one themselves.

Another victory on Wednesday would see them make the last 16 of this competition for the first time since 2023 when they ousted Velez Sarsfield in the second round on penalties, making it all the way to the quarter-finals that season.

It has been a rough return season back to the Argentine top flight for this club, finishing bottom of their group in the opening phase of that competition, and currently in the relegation zone with nine points.

Leandro Romagnoli’s men have suffered five defeats in their previous six matches across all competitions since advancing from their opening round Copa Argentina match, failing to score in any of those contests.

So far in 2025, Verdinegro have yet to win a single encounter away from home this year, claiming just two points as the visitors in the opening phase of the Primera Division campaign.

Only once have they ever emerged victorious from a meeting with Racing Club, hanging on for a 2-1 triumph against them in the 2008 Primera Division Clausura campaign.

Racing Copa Argentina form:

Racing Club form (all competitions):

San Martin de San Juan Copa Argentina form:

San Martin de San Juan form (all competitions):

Team News

A muscle injury could keep midfielder Bruno Zuculini out of the Racing Club lineup for this upcoming clash, having sustained that knock in late April.

Facundo Mura and Maximiliano Salas found the back of the net for them in their opening round fixture, while captain Gabriel Arias collected a clean sheet between the sticks.

On the San Martin side, Juan Cavallaro was taken off in the opening half of their first-round contest with a knock as Franco Adrian Toloza took his place, while Tomas Lecanda and Marcelo Iacobellis are eligible to play despite being red-carded in their previous league fixture.

Matias Borgogno stopped two of the three penalty kicks that he faced in the opening phase to see them through to this stage, while Federico Gonzalez put home the decisive kick for his side.

Racing Club possible starting lineup:

Arias; Di Cesare, Colombo, Quiros; Mura, Sosa, Nardoni, Rodriguez; Zaracho; Salas, Balboa

San Martin de San Juan possible starting lineup:

Borgogno; Molina, Caseres, Lecanda, Alvarez; Montagna, Gonzalez, Jaurena, Iacobellis; Toloza, Pernia

We say: Racing Club 2-0 San Martin de San Juan

San Martin scored a mere five goals in the opening phase of the domestic campaign and have struggled to find the back of the net net historically against Racing Club, and we believe the latter will eventually find a breakthrough and cruise to a comfortable victory.

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

Written by
Joel Lefevre

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