Newells Old Boys vs Velez Sarsfield: Match Preview, Predictions and Betting Tips
Published on Wednesday, 09 September 2026 by Steve
Newell's Old Boys vs VĂ©lez Sarsfield Prediction
Argentina Liga Profesional Prediction & Betting Tips
Match Overview
JerĂłnimo Russo, el asistidor que aprovechĂł su oportunidad y puso a Newells en ganador
Two of Argentine football's most historic institutions collide at the Estadio Marcelo Alberto Bielsa on Friday evening, as Newell's Old Boys host VĂ©lez Sarsfield in a Liga Profesional Torneo Clausura 2026 fixture that carries very different pressures for each side. Newell's, sitting on just 14 points from 15 league matches with only 14 goals scored and 26 conceded, are fighting to escape the lower reaches of Zona A and rediscover the form that made them champions of the 2025 Apertura. VĂ©lez, by contrast, arrive in Rosario third in the zone on 27 points, unbeaten in ten league games and built on the most reliable defensive foundation in the division outside the top two. For readers who follow the full Argentine card, our football predictions for today page covers every Clausura fixture, and this Newell's vs VĂ©lez clash is comfortably one of the trickiest of the weekend for punters.
The home side come into this one on the back of the ClĂĄsico Rosarino, a 1-1 draw away to Rosario Central that extended their unbeaten run to four matches (two wins, two draws) after a 2-1 home victory over Banfield and a 2-0 win against Deportivo Riestra. Frank DarĂo Kudelka's men are hard to beat right now but equally hard to fancy in front of goal, having been shut out in goalless draws at Estudiantes and in tight tussles with Boca Juniors and Independiente. VĂ©lez are the archetypal "draw machine" of the Clausura: Guillermo Barros Schelotto's side drew 1-1 with Boca, Defensa y Justicia, Deportivo Riestra and 2-2 at River Plate before edging Estudiantes 1-0 last time out, and they also had a midweek Copa Argentina round-of-16 date with Boca Juniors at the Mario Kempes to manage. You can track how every result lands in real time on our live scores hub, while fellow Primera clashes such as Racing Club vs Independiente and San Lorenzo vs Deportivo Riestra complete a packed Argentine weekend.
This preview therefore lands on the scoreline both managers would privately accept before kick-off: 0-0. Newell's average barely a goal a game and have failed to score in six of their fifteen league matches, while VĂ©lez concede just 0.76 goals per game and have kept seven clean sheets. Neither side is prolific enough to blow the other away, and neither can afford a reckless defeat with the Clausura entering its decisive stretch. Fans of low-scoring Argentine football should also browse our dedicated draw predictions and over/under predictions pages, where matches exactly like this one are the bread and butter of a profitable weekend coupon.
Tactical Preview
Lanzini broke his silence and explained his departure from River and his arrival at Vélez. | La Derecha Diario en Inglés
Formation & Key Matchups
Newell's Old Boys 4-2-3-1
Frank DarĂo Kudelka has settled Newell's into a compact 4-2-3-1 that prioritises structure over adventure. David Sotelo and Luca Regiardo form a disciplined double pivot tasked with screening a makeshift back four, allowing Walter Mazzantti and JerĂłnimo Russo to push high as wide outlets. The creative burden falls on Alan Soñora between the lines, but the real reference point is Ignacio RamĂrez, the Uruguayan striker who leads the club's scoring charts this season. Newell's build patiently, rarely commit numbers forward, and their 0-0 draw at Estudiantes two rounds ago was a masterclass in game-state management: 45% possession, two shots on target, zero risks taken. At home in front of the Parque Independencia crowd they will press a little higher, but the template remains the same â stay compact, force VĂ©lez wide, and strike on the counter through Mazzantti's direct running.
VĂ©lez Sarsfield 4-3-3
Guillermo Barros Schelotto has restored VĂ©lez's trademark identity: a brave high line, a possession-based 4-3-3 and relentless collective pressing. Claudio Baeza anchors the midfield with Lucas Robertone, while Manuel Lanzini operates as the free-roaming creator â drifting between lines, taking set pieces and arriving late in the box. MatĂas Pellegrini and Ălex VerĂłn stretch play from the flanks with FloriĂĄn MonzĂłn, the team's five-goal top scorer, leading the line. Defensively, Emanuel Mammana and Lisandro MagallĂĄn are an experienced, aggressive pairing, with club captain ElĂas GĂłmez driving forward from left-back. The numbers tell the story: seven clean sheets in fifteen games and an unbeaten run stretching to ten league matches. The slight concern is chance creation â VĂ©lez average just 1.06 goals per game themselves, and the muscle injury to Diego ValdĂ©s removes the player who leads their assist charts from the last realistic passer who can unlock a deep block.
Critical Vulnerability
The decisive zone is Newell's right defensive flank and VĂ©lez's left attacking side. Newell's are without Alejo Montero and MartĂn Luciano, forcing Kudelka to field a patched-up defensive unit that has already conceded 26 league goals. VĂ©lez will target that side through VerĂłn and the overlapping GĂłmez. However, the counter-vulnerability is equally stark: with ValdĂ©s out, VĂ©lez lack a genuine line-breaker against a team that will sit in a mid-block for 90 minutes. MonzĂłn is a fine penalty-box striker but starves without service, and VĂ©lez have drawn four of their last five league games precisely because opponents have learned to sit off them. Expect long spells of sterile VĂ©lez possession, Newell's hitting direct balls into RamĂrez against MagallĂĄn, and two midfields essentially cancelling each other out in the centre of the park.
Team News & Squad Status
Newell's Old Boys đĄđĄđąđąđŽ
- Out: Marcelo Esponda (knee), Alejo Montero, MartĂn Luciano and NicolĂĄs Goitea are all unavailable through injury, leaving Kudelka short of defensive depth.
- Goalkeeper Williams Barlasina keeps his place behind a back four likely to feature MartĂn Ortega, Ian Glavinovich, Oscar SalomĂłn and Franco Escobar.
- Ignacio RamĂrez leads the league scoring with 4 goals and remains the undisputed first-choice striker ahead of MatĂas CĂłccaro.
- Teenage playmaker Valentino Acuña and winger Jerónimo Russo provide the creative sparks in a squad blending experience with academy graduates.
- Newell's are unbeaten in four (W2 D2) but have scored more than once in a league game only twice all season.
VĂ©lez Sarsfield đąđĄđĄđĄđĄ
- Out: Diego ValdĂ©s (muscle injury) is sidelined for several weeks â a major blow as he leads the team's assist charts. Jano Gordon is out with a cruciate ligament injury until late October 2026.
- TomĂĄs Marchiori starts in goal behind Mammana and MagallĂĄn, with captain ElĂas GĂłmez at left-back.
- FloriĂĄn MonzĂłn (5 goals), Manuel Lanzini (3) and MatĂas Pellegrini (3) carry the scoring load in ValdĂ©s' absence.
- Barros Schelotto must manage fatigue after the midweek Copa Argentina round-of-16 tie against Boca Juniors on 2 September.
- VĂ©lez are unbeaten in ten league matches with seven clean sheets, though four of their last five games have finished level.
Predicted Lineups
Juan Ignacio RamĂrez y su hat-trick en Newell's: "Siempre es bueno convertir, da mucha confianza" - ESPN
| Newell's Old Boys 4-2-3-1 | VĂ©lez Sarsfield 4-3-3 |
|---|---|
| Williams Barlasina (GK) | TomĂĄs Marchiori (GK) |
| MartĂn Ortega (RB) | JoaquĂn GarcĂa (RB) |
| Ian Glavinovich (CB) | Emanuel Mammana (CB) |
| Oscar SalomĂłn (CB) | Lisandro MagallĂĄn (CB) |
| Franco Escobar (LB) | ElĂas GĂłmez (c) (LB) |
| David Sotelo (DM) | Claudio Baeza (DM) |
| Luca Regiardo (CM) | Lucas Robertone (CM) |
| Walter Mazzantti (RM) | MatĂas Pellegrini (RW) |
| Alan Soñora (AM) | Manuel Lanzini (AM) |
| JerĂłnimo Russo (LM) | Ălex VerĂłn (LW) |
| Ignacio RamĂrez (ST) | FloriĂĄn MonzĂłn (ST) |
Head-to-Head Record
Se confirmĂł la primera incorporaciĂłn del VĂ©lez campeĂłn para 2025 - TyC Sports
This is the 25th competitive meeting between these two giants of the Argentine game, and the historical ledger is remarkably balanced. Newell's have won nine of the previous encounters, VĂ©lez have edged eleven, and just four have ended in draws â a surprisingly low draw rate given how tight recent renewals have been. The most recent chapter came in the Apertura 2026 when the sides shared a 1-1 draw in Liniers, and that result extended a theme: five of the last six meetings between Newell's and VĂ©lez have produced fewer than three goals. Games between these clubs are typically chess matches, decided by a set piece, a moment of individual brilliance or a goalkeeping error rather than sustained attacking pressure.
El Coloso del Parque adds another layer to the rivalry. Newell's remain one of the toughest home assignments in the country when the stadium is full, yet even that fortress mentality has not turned these fixtures into shootouts â the last three meetings in Rosario between the sides have produced a combined four goals. VĂ©lez's modern, possession-based sides have traditionally struggled against Kudelka-organised teams that deny space between the lines, and nothing in either club's 2026 data suggests this Friday will break the pattern. Punters who enjoy goalless and low-scoring angles should check our correct score tips page, while our BTTS (GG/NG) predictions page offers dedicated analysis for both teams to score markets across the weekend.
Key Players Comparison
Ignacio RamĂrez (Newell's)
League goals: 4 | The focal point of everything Newell's do. Physical, aggressive in the air and happiest attacking deliveries from Mazzantti and Russo. Faces his toughest assignment of the season against the Mammana-MagallĂĄn axis.
FloriĂĄn MonzĂłn (VĂ©lez)
League goals: 5 | VĂ©lez's penalty-box predator and top scorer. Without ValdĂ©s supplying him, MonzĂłn has had to drop deeper to find the ball â exactly what Newell's want, as it keeps him away from the six-yard box where he is most dangerous.
JerĂłnimo Russo (Newell's)
Highest-rated player in the Newell's squad (7.21 avg rating) with 2 assists. The left winger's dribbling is the home side's best route to territory and fouls in dangerous areas.
Manuel Lanzini (VĂ©lez)
3 goals from midfield. The former West Ham playmaker remains VĂ©lez's most gifted technician, but at 33 he is asked to create and finish in the same match â a heavy load with ValdĂ©s absent.
The head-to-head within the head-to-head is RamĂrez versus MonzĂłn, two contrasting number nines who both depend heavily on the quality of service they receive â and that service is exactly what is missing from both attacks right now. RamĂrez has plundered his goals against weaker defensive units; MonzĂłn's five goals are spread thin across a season in which VĂ©lez have frequently dominated possession without penetration. In midfield, the creative duel between Russo and Lanzini is similarly balanced but leaning toward caution: both players rank among their clubs' top performers, yet both will spend significant portions of this match tracking back. The most likely match-winners, ironically, are the goalkeepers â Barlasina has kept Newell's in games they had no right to draw, while Marchiori's seven clean sheets are the foundation of VĂ©lez's top-three standing. For a banker-style single on this fixture, see our banker of the day pick, where high-confidence selections from the world leagues are published every morning.
The Managers
Frank DarĂo Kudelka (Newell's Old Boys)
Kudelka is in his second spell at the club he led between 2018 and 2019, returning in February 2026 to steady a ship that had lost its way after the high of the 2025 Apertura title. Across his managerial career he has become synonymous with disciplined, hard-to-break-down sides that compete first and entertain second â a philosophy reflected perfectly in Newell's current profile of five draws in their last eight league games and a return of 1.51 points per match across his tenure at the club.
The Argentine coach's biggest achievement this Clausura has been restoring defensive order after a chaotic start to the season: Newell's have conceded just twice in their last four league matches. His in-game management is conservative by design â Kudelka rarely chases games late on, preferring the certainty of a point over the gamble of a defeat. That instinct will be on full display on Friday if the match is still goalless after an hour, and it is one of the strongest single arguments for our 0-0 prediction.
Guillermo Barros Schelotto (VĂ©lez Sarsfield)
"Mellizo" Barros Schelotto took charge of VĂ©lez in 2025 and has quietly moulded the youngest squad in his coaching career into the most defensively reliable team in Zona A. In 53 matches at the helm he has averaged 1.56 points per game, built on a 42% win rate and, more importantly for this preview, a remarkable 16 draws â no top-flight manager in Argentina draws more games, a direct product of his side's inability to break down compact defences despite dominating territory.
Barros Schelotto's VĂ©lez press high, play out from the back with Marchiori and Mammana, and suffocate opponents with possession, but the Chilean ValdĂ©s' injury strips the side of its only elite through-ball merchant. The midweek Copa Argentina commitment against Boca Juniors also complicates his team selection and rotation. Away from home against a Kudelka team, history says Barros Schelotto settles for a point far more often than he chases all three â and his substitution patterns (defensive midfielder for attacker when level after 70 minutes) tell you exactly how Friday night is likely to end.
Betting Predictions & Tips
Odds: 1.65 (European/decimal)
The standout bet of the fixture. Newell's matches average under two goals, they have failed to score in 40% of their league games, and VĂ©lez have kept seven clean sheets while scoring just 1.06 goals per game themselves. Five of the last six H2H meetings went under 2.5, both teams arrive on short turnarounds, and the tactical profiles point toward a midfield stalemate. Our full reasoning on totals betting is covered on the over/under predictions page, where under plays like this one are screened daily across global leagues.
Odds: 2.90 (European/decimal)
Vélez have drawn four of their last five league matches; Newell's have drawn five of their last eight. Two unbeaten-in-four sides, one missing its creator (Valdés), the other incapable of sustained attacking pressure, at a venue where the last three H2H meetings produced four combined goals. A 2.90 quote on the draw prices Newell's home advantage too heavily and ignores that Vélez's entire season identity is the 1-1 or 0-0. More draw-focused analysis, including the weekend's safest stalemates, is on our draw prediction page and the long-shot specialist 4 draws football tips coupon.
Odds: 1.75 (European/decimal)
At least one blank is highly probable here. VĂ©lez's defensive record (0.76 goals conceded per game, seven clean sheets) says Newell's â 14 goals in 15 games â are unlikely to find the net, while Newell's newly organised back line and VĂ©lez's missing creativity point to the visitors struggling just as much. The "No" side of the BTTS market has cashed in a majority of both clubs' matches this Clausura. For the inverse angle and both-teams-to-score staking plans, visit our GG/NG predictions hub.
Odds: 7.50 (European/decimal)
Our headline prediction and the correct score we recommend for small-stake value. Everything converges on the goalless outcome: Newell's blanked six times, VĂ©lez have seven clean sheets, both managers are structurally averse to risk, the last meeting finished 1-1 with neither side dominant, and goalless draws have been a recurring theme in VĂ©lez's season (four draws in five games, most of them low-scoring). Correct score betting is a variance-heavy market â keep stakes modest â and our methodology for it is explained in detail on the correct score tips page.
Odds: 4.75 (European/decimal)
For punters seeking a bigger price on the same thesis. These two teams are both slow starters and cautious finishers: expect a feeling-out first half with VĂ©lez controlling possession without penetration, and a second half in which neither manager gambles. The HT/FT draw-draw combination has landed in two of VĂ©lez's last five league games alone. If you prefer insurance on the match result, the draw no bet and double chance pages offer safer structural alternatives, and this selection also features among the weekend's hot predictions shortlist. Build it into wider multiples with our acca tips if you are constructing a weekend coupon.
đ Final Score Prediction
Match Analysis
Our model lands on 0-0 as the single most likely outcome of this fixture, and the case is overwhelming once the layers are stacked. Start with the attacks: Newell's have scored fourteen goals in fifteen Clausura games and have drawn a blank in six of them, while VĂ©lez average barely one goal per game despite their lofty position. Add the absences â VĂ©lez without their assist leader Diego ValdĂ©s, Newell's without four squad members including key defensive pieces â and both teams lose the exact players most capable of producing the one moment of quality that settles tight matches. Then consider the game state: VĂ©lez will have the ball (they always do), Newell's will cede it (they always do), and the result will be long, patient spells of possession ending in hopeful crosses against two well-organised, aerially competent centre-back pairings.
The psychological layer seals it. Both managers are structurally conservative: Kudelka has turned Newell's into a side that treats a home point against a top-three team as a success, while Barros Schelotto's VĂ©lez have turned drawing into an art form â sixteen draws in his 53 games in charge, four in the last five league rounds. Factor in VĂ©lez's midweek Copa Argentina exertions and the short recovery, and the visitors' legs will fade in the final half hour, reducing their pressing intensity exactly when a goal would otherwise be most likely. Expect few chances, a handful of half-hearted long-range efforts, comfortable evenings for both goalkeepers, and a full-time whistle that both benches greet with quiet satisfaction. For everything kicking off the following day, our football predictions for tomorrow page updates around the clock.
Key Insights & Statistics
- Goal-shy hosts: Newell's have scored just 14 goals in 15 Clausura matches (0.93 per game) and have failed to score in six of those fixtures â the worst attacking output among established top-flight sides in Zona A.
- Fortress VĂ©lez: The visitors have kept seven clean sheets in 15 league games, conceding only 0.76 goals per match â defensive numbers bettered by almost nobody in the division.
- Draw specialists: VĂ©lez have drawn four of their last five league games (1-1, 2-2, 1-1, 1-1, then a 1-0 win); Newell's have drawn five of their last eight. Between them, stalemates are the single most frequent result.
- Unbeaten runs collide: Newell's are four league games unbeaten (W2 D2) while VĂ©lez have not lost in ten â something has to give, but history says it gives with a handshake, not a winner.
- Creative injury blow: Vélez's Diego Valdés (team-high assists) is out with a muscle injury, and right-back Jano Gordon is out until late October with a cruciate ligament injury.
- Newell's absentees: Marcelo Esponda, Alejo Montero, MartĂn Luciano and NicolĂĄs Goitea are all out, forcing a patched-up defensive unit that explains the 26 goals conceded despite recent improvement.
- H2H trend: Five of the last six meetings between these clubs produced under 2.5 goals, and the most recent clash (Apertura 2026) finished 1-1 in Liniers.
- Low draw rate anomaly: Only 4 of the 24 previous H2H meetings were draws â but three of those four came in the last ten years as both clubs adopted more conservative identities.
- Fatigue factor: VĂ©lez played a Copa Argentina round-of-16 tie against Boca Juniors at the Mario Kempes on 2 September, just nine days before this fixture, on top of a congested Clausura calendar.
- Star watch: Ignacio RamĂrez (4 goals) leads Newell's scoring, while FloriĂĄn MonzĂłn (5 goals) tops VĂ©lez's charts â neither strike force averages a goal between them per game.
- Manager profiles: Kudelka averages 1.51 points per game with Newell's; Barros Schelotto 1.56 with VĂ©lez â and 16 of his 53 matches in charge have finished level, the highest draw rate of any current Liga Profesional boss.
- Market signal: Bookmakers price this as one of the tightest matches of the Clausura round, with European odds tightly clustered on all three outcomes â a classic sign of an expected stalemate.
Conclusion
Newell's Old Boys vs VĂ©lez Sarsfield has every ingredient of a classic, old-fashioned Argentine goalless draw: two proud clubs, two tactically conservative managers, two depleted attacking units, one ball being passed sideways through a crowded midfield for ninety minutes. VĂ©lez are the better side on paper and will control possession, but without Diego ValdĂ©s they lack the key to open a locked door, and their midweek cup exertions will sap the pressing intensity that usually creates turnovers in advanced areas. Newell's, for their part, simply do not have the attacking weaponry to punish even a weakened VĂ©lez back line â their season-long return of under a goal per game says everything.
From a betting perspective, the angle is clear and layered. The safest expression of our 0-0 prediction is the under 2.5 goals market at 1.65, with the full-time draw at 2.90 offering genuine value given both clubs' extraordinary draw frequency. Correct score hunters should take the 7.50 on the goalless outcome with small stakes, and the speculative HT/FT draw-draw at 4.75 rewards those who agree that neither manager will blink first. For wider context across the round, our best bets for today page ranks every confidence level on the card, and Argentine football followers can also review Boca Juniors vs Cruzeiro and Barracas Central vs HuracĂĄn for the weekend's other standout South American action.
Score prediction: Newell's Old Boys 0-0 VĂ©lez Sarsfield. Both teams keep their unbeaten runs alive, both defences keep their clean-sheet reputations intact, and El Coloso del Parque witnesses ninety minutes of honest, tense, goalless Argentine football. If a winner must come, a single set-piece mistake is the only realistic route â but do not count on it. Check back for our post-match review and the next round of Liga Profesional predictions, and remember: gamble responsibly, within your limits, and treat every prediction as opinion rather than certainty.