All Boys vs Colon Santa Fe: Match Preview, Predictions and Betting Tips
Published on Thursday, 24 September 2026 by Steve
All Boys vs Colon Santa Fe Prediction
Argentina Primera Nacional Prediction & Betting Tips
Match Overview
Colón oficializó la incorporación del delantero Julián Marcioni: “Donde me toque jugar voy a aportar” - Sol Play 91.5
Round 31 of the 2026 Argentina Primera Nacional brings together two clubs heading in very different emotional directions when All Boys host Colon Santa Fe at the Estadio Islas Malvinas on Saturday afternoon. The Floresta side, coached by Fabián Nardozza since early August, has quietly built one of the most remarkable home records in the division: they remain completely unbeaten at Islas Malvinas this campaign, a run built on defensive discipline rather than attacking fireworks. With the playoff race entering its decisive stretch, every point matters, and our full slate of daily analysis in the football predictions for today hub highlights just how tight the middle of the Zona A table has become. All Boys sit on the fringes of the playoff spots, and their home fortress has been the single biggest reason they are still in the conversation at all.
Colon, meanwhile, arrived in 2026 with genuine promotion ambitions after a massive squad rebuild in the December and January window, but a turbulent season has left them needing a strong finish to keep their own postseason hopes alive. The Sabaleros have already changed managers this year — Ezequiel Medrán started the campaign and was replaced by Iván Delfino in August — and their form has swung wildly between dominant home wins and passive away defeats. When these sides met in the reverse fixture back in May, Colon edged a five-goal thriller 3-2 in Santa Fe, a result that ultimately cost Aníbal Biggeri his job at All Boys. Readers who followed our Godoy Cruz vs All Boys preview will know how fragile the Buenos Aires side looked away from home earlier this season — but this time the setting is entirely different.
All Boys arrive off the back of a 1-1 draw at San Miguel, where former Colon striker Lucas Cano scored against his old employers' league rivals, while Colon bounced back from consecutive away defeats with a 3-0 home dismantling of Los Andes. The market reflects how evenly matched this contest looks: European odds open at roughly 2.60 for the home win, 3.00 for the draw and 2.70 for the away win, with the goal lines suggesting a tight, low-scoring affair. For readers who like to track every kick in real time, our live football scores page covers the full Primera Nacional card this weekend. Everything about this fixture — the venue, the stakes, the tactical profiles and the head-to-head history — points toward a classic Primera Nacional chess match, and our final verdict is a 0-0 draw.
Tactical Preview
LUCAS CANO - ENTREVISTA // ALL BOYS 0-0 CHACO FOR EVER // PRIMERA NACIONAL 2026
Formation & Key Matchups
All Boys 4-4-2
Fabián Nardozza has restored structure to All Boys since taking over in August, reverting to a compact 4-4-2 that prioritises the two banks of four staying connected. The numbers tell the story: All Boys have conceded only five goals in twelve home league matches this season, the best defensive home record in the division. Their full-backs rarely venture past halfway, the wide midfielders tuck in to form a defensive box, and they are content to surrender possession in favour of territorial control. In attack they rely on set pieces and the intelligent movement of Lucas Cano dropping between the lines to link with a second striker. It is not pretty, but at Islas Malvinas it has been extraordinarily effective — nine of their twelve home games have ended level, and our analysis of draw and handicap odds explains why bookmakers continue to price All Boys home games shorter on the draw than on either team winning.
Colon Santa Fe 4-2-3-1
Iván Delfino, in his second spell at the club, has kept the flexible 4-2-3-1 base he inherited but has demanded far more aggression from the double pivot. Nicolás Talpone and Ignacio Antonio screen the back four, with Darío Sarmiento drifting inside from the right to create overloads. The creative burden falls on Julián Marcioni between the lines, while Alan Bonansea leads the line as the focal point. The problem for Colon has been translating their dominant home form — where they have beaten Central Norte 4-0 and Patronato and Los Andes 3-0 — to their travels. Away from the Brigadier López they have lost at Racing de Córdoba and Godoy Cruz without scoring in recent weeks, and their away xG numbers are among the worst in Zona A. Against a side that has literally never lost at home this season, Delfino may well settle for a point and protect his fragile away confidence.
Critical Vulnerability
The critical vulnerability in this match is Colon's inability to break down deep defensive blocks on the road. All Boys will concede possession, compress the space between midfield and defence, and dare Colon's creators to find a final pass that has frequently gone missing away from home. Conversely, All Boys themselves have scored just eight goals in twelve home games — they simply do not commit enough bodies forward to stress a Colon back line organised around Pier Barrios and Leonel González. Two low-output attacks, two well-drilled defensive structures, and a congested midfield battle: this is the exact profile of a match where the first goal may never arrive.
Team News & Squad Status
All Boys 🟡🟡🟡🟢🟡🔴
- Lucas Cano (FW): The headline storyline — the striker signed by Colón in January, released in July, and now scoring for All Boys. He netted the equalizer in the 1-1 draw at San Miguel on 19 September and will be highly motivated against his former club.
- Nicolás Carrizo (GK): Ever-present between the posts and a major reason for the league-best five goals conceded at home. His shot-stopping has single-handedly preserved points in multiple goalless draws this season.
- Emiliano Purita (DF): The veteran centre-back anchors Nardozza's back four and returned from a minor knock to play the full match against San Miguel. He is expected to captain the side.
- Gustavo Turraca (MF): Suspended earlier in the month but available again; his ball-winning in midfield will be essential against Colón's creative axis.
- Thiago Calone (MF): Missed the defeat to San Telmo through suspension but served his ban; competing for a starting berth in the centre of the park.
- Brandon López (FW): Nursing a muscular issue and rated doubtful; Pucciarelli is in line to partner Cano if López is not risked.
Colon Santa Fe 🟢🟢🔴🔴🔴🟢
- Alan Bonansea (FW): The experienced number nine has carried Colón's scoring load for stretches of 2026 and scored in the 3-0 win over Los Andes. He leads the line as the lone striker.
- Federico Lértora (MF): The experienced midfielder arrived in the January window to dictate tempo and is expected to start after being rested for part of the midweek workload.
- Julián Marcioni (FW): The second striker/number ten has recovered from a knock that kept him out of the Godoy Cruz trip and should occupy the pocket behind Bonansea.
- Darío Sarmiento (MF): On loan from Estudiantes, the winger is one of Colón's few consistent creative outlets away from home, though his end product has been erratic.
- Pier Barrios (DF): The Peruvian-Argentine centre-back signed from Melgar is fit and forms a physically imposing partnership with Leonel González.
- Emanuel Beltrán (DF): The right-back signed to solve a problem position and has held the role since arriving, though he remains a booking risk with aggressive defending.
Predicted Lineups
Alan Bonansea: “Estamos haciendo todo lo posible para estar el domingo en Salta”
| All Boys 4-4-2 | Colon Santa Fe 4-2-3-1 |
|---|---|
| GK: Nicolás Carrizo | GK: Matías Budiño |
| RB: Maximiliano Coronel | RB: Emanuel Beltrán |
| CB: Emiliano Purita | CB: Pier Barrios |
| CB: Hernán Grana | CB: Leonel González |
| LB: Ivo Cortabarria | LB: Leandro Allende |
| RM: Gustavo Turraca | DM: Nicolás Talpone |
| CM: Ricardo Blanco | DM: Ignacio Antonio |
| CM: Santiago Cáceres | AM: Julián Marcioni |
| LM: Leonel Jara | LW: Darío Sarmiento / Franco García |
| ST: Lucas Cano | RW: Ignacio Lago |
| ST: Tiago Pucciarelli | ST: Alan Bonansea |
Head-to-Head Record
All Boys: All Boys sumó a otro arquero para la Primera Nacional 2026
This is one of the oldest rivalries in Argentine football, with the clubs crossing paths regularly across more than half a century of competition. In 69 official meetings between All Boys and Colon, the Sabaleros hold the historical edge with 29 wins to 17, while 23 encounters have ended in draws — a draw rate of roughly one in three, remarkably high for a rivalry of this age. Recent history has favoured the Santa Fe side: across the last ten meetings Colon have won four, All Boys just one, with five draws. The most recent clash came on 10 May 2026 at the Brigadier General Estanislao López, when Colon won a pulsating encounter 3-2 — Ignacio Lago among the scorers — a defeat that triggered the departure of Aníbal Biggeri and set All Boys on the path to their current Nardozza-led identity. Fans of Argentine second-tier football can compare notes with our recent Almirante Brown vs Colon Santa Fe preview, where Colón's home strength was equally decisive.
Crucially, though, the venue matters enormously in this fixture. All Boys' home record against Colon is historically far stronger than their overall mark, and their current unbeaten home run in 2026 — twelve matches without defeat, nine of them draws — adds a powerful modern layer to that trend. Colon have not won at Islas Malvinas in years, and their current away form gives no indication that drought will end on Saturday. Notably, All Boys have drawn 0-0 at home three times already in 2026, including against Defensores de Belgrano and Chaco For Ever, while our CA Estudiantes vs All Boys preview documented another of their trademark stubborn home performances. When All Boys play at home in 2026, the most likely single outcome has been a draw — by a wide margin.
Key Players Comparison
Lucas Cano (All Boys)
The January signing Colón released in July. Motivation will be sky-high, and his clever movement between the lines is All Boys' best — arguably only — reliable source of goals. Scored last weekend at San Miguel.
Nicolás Carrizo (All Boys)
The goalkeeper behind the division's best home defensive record. Five goals conceded in twelve home games is an extraordinary return, and his handling of crosses will be tested by Colón's set-piece threat.
Alan Bonansea (Colon)
The veteran number nine leads Colón's line and scored in the 3-0 win over Los Andes. His physical duel with Purita and Grana will likely define whether Colón can score at all.
Julián Marcioni (Colon)
The creative second striker recovering from a knock. If he starts, he is the man most capable of picking the lock of a deep block; if he is limited, Colón's away scoring problems deepen considerably.
The individual battle that excites most is Cano against the Colón centre-back pairing he trains next to only months ago. He knows Barrios' and González' habits intimately, and equally they know his tendency to drift to the back post. The subplot within the subplot is that Cano is All Boys' only forward averaging more than a shot per 90 minutes — if Colón keep him quiet, they effectively mute the entire home attack. Colon's own danger men tell a mirror-image story: Bonansea and Marcioni have produced their best work at home, where Colón have scored three or more goals on multiple occasions this season, but on their travels the entire attacking unit has looked short of ideas, as seen in the scoreless defeats at Racing de Córdoba and Godoy Cruz. For a wider look at how the division's marksmen are shaping up, our CA Mitre vs All Boys preview covered Cano's former strike partnerships, while the All Boys vs Los Andes preview showed just how starved of chances this side can leave opponents at Islas Malvinas.
The Managers
Fabián Nardozza (All Boys)
Nardozza is the fourth man to lead All Boys in 2026 — a chaotic sequence that began with Aníbal Biggeri, continued through Darío Stefanatto and Mauricio Giganti, and settled, for now, on the former Defensores de Belgrano boss appointed on 5 August. His mandate was simple: stop the bleeding away from home and make Islas Malvinas impenetrable, and he has delivered emphatically on the second half of that brief. Under Nardozza, All Boys have kept five clean sheets in seven matches across all venues, and his pragmatic 4-4-2 has transformed a side that conceded four at Godoy Cruz into one that has not conceded more than one goal in any game since he took charge. Nardozza teams are famously difficult to beat rather than easy to watch.
His in-game management has also been sharp: he recognised early that this squad lacks the attacking quality to chase games, so he has built a culture in which a draw is treated as a positive result, particularly at home. The numbers validate the approach — All Boys have climbed from the lower reaches into playoff contention on the back of a 50% home points return built almost entirely on clean sheets. His opposite number across the tactical divide in previous rounds, as chronicled in our All Boys vs Racing Córdoba preview, found exactly the same problem: breaking down Nardozza's block is exhausting, unrewarding work.
Iván Delfino (Colon Santa Fe)
Delfino is enjoying his second spell in charge of Colón in the space of two years, returning in August 2026 after Ezequiel Medrán paid the price for an inconsistent first two-thirds of the campaign. A former Colón defender, Delfino enjoys genuine affinity with the supporters, and his first weeks back have produced two emphatic 3-0 home wins interrupted by damaging away defeats at Racing de Córdoba and Godoy Cruz. His task for the final six rounds is psychological as much as tactical: this is a squad assembled expensively, with more than a dozen signings in the January window alone, yet one that has repeatedly failed to perform when asked to carry the initiative on the road.
Delfino has historically favoured proactive football, but pragmatism has crept into his second tenure — he openly spoke after the Godoy Cruz loss about the need to "manage the game state away from home." That admission is significant for this fixture: a manager publicly prioritising damage limitation on the road is unlikely to throw caution to the wind at the division's most draw-prone venue. Delfino's history against All Boys is balanced — he has faced them multiple times with other clubs — and his Colón side's trip to Chaco For Ever earlier this season, previewed in our Chaco For Ever vs Colon Santa Fe preview, showed both the ceiling and the floor of this team in a single 90 minutes. His counterpart's view of Colón's recent home form can be found in our Colon vs Central Norte preview, and the reverse angle from Floresta in our Defensores de Belgrano vs All Boys preview.
Betting Predictions & Tips
Odds: 1.55
Everything about this fixture screams a low-scoring game. All Boys' home matches have produced a combined average of barely over one goal per game — eight scored, five conceded in twelve outings — while Colon have failed to score in two of their last three away matches. Five of All Boys' last six home games have gone under 2.5 goals, and three of them finished goalless. Even the reverse fixture's 3-2 scoreline flattered the attack: the expected goals were far lower. If you prefer a dedicated draw angle, our draw predictions page lists this match among the strongest stalemate candidates of the round, and the over/under predictions hub models the total at just 1.8 expected goals.
Odds: 3.00
At even money or better implied probability, the draw is a clear value proposition here. All Boys have drawn nine of twelve home league games in 2026 — a 75% draw rate — and their overall profile (weak attack, elite home defence) is the single most predictive draw combination in football. Colon, meanwhile, have drawn just enough away games to keep their playoff hopes alive but lack the away attacking output to justify favouritism. At 3.00, you are being paid well above fair odds for what our model makes the most likely single outcome. For more stalemate-focused angles, see our 3 sure draws selections and the double chance predictions page for safer accumulator-friendly alternatives.
Odds: 1.80
All Boys have kept a clean sheet in half of their home matches this season, and their game plan is explicitly built around keeping one. Colon's away attack has gone missing repeatedly — they have scored just a handful of goals on their travels all campaign and were shut out at both Racing de Córdoba and Godoy Cruz this month. Meanwhile All Boys' own attack, without consistent service, has been blanked at home by Ferro, Defensores de Belgrano and Chaco For Ever. At least one clean sheet has been kept in eight of the last ten meetings between these clubs across all venues. Our BTTS (GG/NG) predictions page rates "No" as the standout play of the Primera Nacional weekend, and pairing it with the under in the acca tips section creates a logical, correlated ticket.
Odds: 7.00
Our headline prediction. All Boys have already played out three goalless draws at Islas Malvinas in 2026 — against Defensores de Belgrano, Chaco For Ever and Ferro — and their last two home games against organised mid-table blocks both finished 0-0. Colon's away matches follow the same script: low event, low shot volume, frequent blanks. A 0-0 correct score at around 7.00 offers genuine each-way style value, and for correct-score enthusiasts our correct score tips page tracks the success of exactly these profiles — heavy-home-favourite defences meeting impotent away attacks — across the season. New bettors should consult our guide to understanding football betting odds before placing correct-score wagers.
Odds: 2.15 (HT 0-0)
For those seeking a bigger price without going all the way to the 7.00 correct score, the half-time 0-0 market is the smart middle ground. All Boys' matches have been notoriously slow starters — they have scored only a handful of first-half goals all season and frequently go into the break locked at 0-0, including in both of their most recent home games. Colon away from home have also started cautiously under Delfino. If the game is 0-0 at half-time, the second-half dynamics (neither side forced to chase, both managers content with a point) strongly favour it staying that way. Check our banker of the day for the safest single on the card, and the draw no bet predictions page if you want insurance on a home-win hedge.
📊 Final Score Prediction
Match Analysis
We predict a 0-0 draw, and we predict it with unusual confidence for a correct-score call. The logic is structural rather than speculative: All Boys have the best home defensive record in the Primera Nacional, have not lost a single home league game all season, and have drawn nine of those twelve matches — most of them by identical scorelines. Their manager has explicitly constructed a team in which not losing is the primary objective, and the players execute it with discipline. Colon, for all their expensive January rebuild and imposing home form, have one of the league's least productive away attacks and arrive having failed to score in two of their last three road trips. Their manager's public admission that his side must "manage away games" tells you everything about the attacking intent we should expect.
The emotional subplot — Lucas Cano facing the club that signed and released him within six months — adds spice, but even a motivated Cano operates in a system that creates almost nothing. Expect long spells of Colón possession in harmless areas, All Boys' compact 4-4-2 repelling the rare penetrative pass, set pieces at both ends coming to nothing, and a final twenty minutes in which both benches visibly settle for a point. A goalless draw helps both sides marginally more than it harms them in the playoff picture, and neither manager has shown the slightest appetite for risk in this type of fixture. For where this result leaves the round's bigger picture, see our hot predictions tracker, and monitor the table reaction via our fast football results updates guide after the weekend's full card.
Key Insights & Statistics
- All Boys are unbeaten at home in the 2026 Primera Nacional: 12 matches, 0 defeats, with only five goals conceded — the best home defensive record in the division.
- Nine of those twelve All Boys home games have ended in draws, including 0-0 results against Ferro, Defensores de Belgrano and Chaco For Ever.
- Colon have failed to score in their last two away matches (0-1 at Racing de Córdoba, 0-2 at Godoy Cruz) and have one of the weakest away attacks in Zona A.
- The reverse fixture on 10 May 2026 finished Colon 3-2 All Boys — but that result ended Aníbal Biggeri's tenure and preceded All Boys' dramatic defensive transformation.
- Lucas Cano, who scored All Boys' equalizer at San Miguel last weekend, was signed by Colón in January 2026 and released in July — he faces his former club for the first time.
- Both clubs changed managers in August 2026: Fabián Nardozza (All Boys, 5 August) and Iván Delfino (Colon, second spell) — neither has lost a home game since taking over.
- Historically, 23 of the 69 meetings between these sides have ended level — a draw rate near 33%, and the last meeting at Islas Malvinas also ended 0-0.
- Colon's impressive home wins (4-0 vs Central Norte, 3-0 vs Patronato, 3-0 vs Los Andes) have all come at the Brigadier López — their away form is the inverse.
Conclusion
All Boys vs Colon Santa Fe is a fixture where the tactics, the venue, the recent form and the managerial psychology all point in one direction. All Boys have turned the Estadio Islas Malvinas into the hardest ground in the Primera Nacional at which to win a football match: unbeaten in twelve, conceding a fraction of a goal per game, and drawing so often that bookmakers now price the stalemate as the most probable outcome before a ball is kicked. Colon, for all the ambition of their rebuilt squad and the emotional pull of Delfino's return, have been a different — and frankly poor — team away from home, and nothing in their last three road performances suggests they possess the patience or the cutting edge to solve the league's most stubborn defensive block.
Our prediction is a 0-0 draw, supported by the under 2.5 goals, the draw at 3.00, and both teams to score "No" as the surrounding betting structure. The speculative value sits in the half-time 0-0 and the correct score itself at 7.00. The Cano revenge narrative gives neutrals a reason to watch, but the likeliest outcome is ninety minutes of disciplined, tense, chance-starved football — the kind that has defined All Boys' entire home season and Colón's away one. For broader context on building tickets around games like this, our guides on football betting mistakes to avoid and the season's results and updates coverage are worth a read before kickoff.
Whatever you back, keep stakes sensible and enjoy what promises to be a fascinating late-September chess match in Floresta. Check back after full time for our round recap, and explore the rest of the weekend's Primera Nacional previews — from Nueva Chicago vs Atlético Rafaela to Quilmes vs Atlético Rafaela — in our match previews hub. Final call: All Boys 0-0 Colon Santa Fe.
