- Team form: Deportivo Riestra are winless in 6 Liga Profesional - Apertura 2026 home matches (D5, L1).
- Away form: Instituto de Cordoba have yet to win away in Liga Profesional - Apertura 2026 (D1, L4).
A cagey contest awaits at the bottom of the standings
Deportivo Riestra sits bottom of the Liga Profesional - Apertura 2026 table with 7 points after 12 matches, having failed to find any momentum in recent weeks.
The hosts come into Saturday’s game winless in their last 5 matches (D3, L2), including a run of 3 consecutive home draws in which Gustavo Benitez’s men have maintained their unbeaten home run in Liga Profesional - Apertura 2026, but failed to convince.
While the visitors arrive in slightly better form, having won their last 2 games (W3, L2), Instituto de Cordoba is by no means a secure team.
Instituto de Cordoba currently sits in 21st spot in the Liga Profesional - Apertura 2026 having taken 14 points from its first 12 matches, and is yet to find a win on the road in the competition, with 1 draw and 4 defeats to date.
Polar opposites meet in the Argentinean lower league
Tactical styles:
Deportivo Riestra’s style could not be further from the visiting Instituto de Cordoba’s approach. Benitez’s side play with extreme verticality and a direct long-passing style, while they are at their most dangerous in transition.
Instituto de Cordoba play in a much more methodical, defense-first system. Diego Flores’ men have disciplined their midfield, crowding the space and controlling the pace of the game through their patient possession style.
Key players:
- Antony Alonso is Deportivo’s leading scorer this season with 2 goals in Liga Profesional - Apertura 2026, but the hosts rely on the creativity of Pablo Monje, who has registered 1 assist in 11 appearances this league campaign.
- Instituto de Cordoba have been buoyed by the recent scoring form of Alex Luna, the club’s top scorer in Liga Profesional - Apertura 2026 with 4 goals.
- Luna has scored 2 goals in his last 5 appearances, a run which has coincided with improved results.
The draw looks likely
The bookmakers are offering slight odds on Deportivo at 2.8, Instituto at 2.94 and a draw at 2.68, suggesting this is a close contest. Both sides have been unable to secure wins at home and away respectively, so the draw is our main prediction, although a low scoring win for the home side is possible.
The Under 2.5 market is heavily priced at 1.36, which doesn’t offer much value, but it is the correct prediction, as these sides have often played cagey matches, with Instituto winning 3 of the last 5, but Deportivo winning the last encounter 1-0 at home.
