The highly anticipated clash between Argentinos Juniors and River Plate is set for Friday, February 13, 2026, with kick-off scheduled at 00:15 GMT+0 on Thursday evening depending on timezone). The match will take place at the iconic Estadio Diego Armando Maradona in Buenos Aires, a venue with a capacity of 26,000 where Argentinos traditionally show strong defensive discipline. Referee Merlos A. will officiate this Liga Profesional de Fútbol – Apertura fixture, round 5 encounter between two sides looking to solidify their early-season positioning.
BETTING TIPS AND MATCH INSIGHTS
In this section we prepare you for the deeper dive into recent performances and historical context. Argentinos Juniors vs River Plate prediction today focuses on current momentum, defensive solidity at home, and River’s inconsistent away form. Both teams have shown flashes of quality but also vulnerability in front of goal. Recent results underline a pattern of low-scoring, tactical battles — especially when these sides meet in Buenos Aires. Expect a contest shaped by structure, key absences, and small-margin moments rather than open, high-event football.
Argentinos Juniors Results
Argentinos Juniors enter this match after a mixed start to the Apertura campaign, combining defensive resilience with limited attacking output. They have struggled to convert possession into clear chances recently.
| Date | Competition | Matchup | Result | W/L |
| 07.02.26 | LPF | Racing Club vs Argentinos Juniors | 2-1 | L |
| 03.02.26 | LPF | Argentinos Juniors vs Belgrano | 0-0 | D |
| 30.01.26 | LPF | Estudiantes Rio Cuarto vs Argentinos Juniors | 0-0 | D |
| 26.01.26 | LPF | Argentinos Juniors vs Sarmiento Junin | 1-0 | W |
| 22.01.26 | COP | Argentinos Juniors vs Midland | 1-2 | L |
The table reveals a team that keeps games tight but rarely explodes offensively. Three of the last five matches ended with under 1.5 total goals, underlining their current low-scoring trend. Home form remains their main strength — two clean sheets in recent league games at Diego Armando Maradona. However, the narrow loss to Racing exposed issues transitioning from defense to attack.
River Plate Results
River Plate arrive with an uneven record so far in 2026, showing flashes of dominance but suffering heavy setbacks in key moments. Away performances have raised questions about consistency.
| Date | Competition | Matchup | Result | W/L |
| 08.02.26 | LPF | River Plate vs Tigre | 1-4 | L |
| 02.02.26 | LPF | Rosario Central vs River Plate | 0-0 | D |
| 29.01.26 | LPF | River Plate vs Gimnasia L.P. | 2-0 | W |
| 24.01.26 | LPF | Barracas Central vs River Plate | 0-1 | W |
| 18.01.26 | SRP | Penarol vs River Plate | 0-1 | W |
River Plate display clear quality when controlling games, but the heavy defeat to Tigre highlighted defensive fragility under pressure. They remain dangerous on counter-attacks and set-pieces, yet struggle to impose themselves consistently away from home. Clean sheets in three of five recent matches point to a solid base, but the team needs more fluency in the final third.
Argentinos Juniors vs River Plate Head-to-Head (Last 5 Matches)
The rivalry has produced competitive, often tight encounters with both sides claiming important results in recent years.
| Date | Competition | Matchup | Result |
| 25.05.24 | LPF | Argentinos Juniors vs River Plate | 1-0 |
| 29.01.24 | CLP | River Plate vs Argentinos Juniors | 1-1 |
| 21.08.23 | CLP | Argentinos Juniors vs River Plate | 3-2 |
| 13.02.23 | LPF | River Plate vs Argentinos Juniors | 2-1 |
| 03.10.22 | LPF | Argentinos Juniors vs River Plate | 0-3 |
History shows no clear dominance — Argentinos have won two of the last five meetings, River Plate two, and one draw. Matches at Diego Armando Maradona tend to be decided by fine margins, with under 3.5 goals in four of these five clashes.
Argentinos Juniors vs River Plate – Predicted Lineups
Below are the most likely starting lineups for the upcoming Liga Profesional Apertura match on February 13, 2026. These predicted XIs are based on the most recent team selections, reported injury situations, rotation patterns and typical tactical setups used by both coaches in early 2026 fixtures. Please note that final confirmed lineups are usually released 60–90 minutes before kick-off and may differ due to last-minute decisions, fitness tests or tactical surprises.
Argentinos Juniors possible starting lineup
Cortes (GK), Prieto (DF), Godoy (DF), Alvarez (DF), Lozano (DF), Oroz (MF), Fattori (MF), Porcel (MF), Lescano (FW), Giaccone (FW), Molina (FW)

River Plate possible starting lineup
Beltran (GK), Montiel (DF), Quarta (DF), Rivero (DF), Vina (DF), Galoppo (MF), Moreno (MF), Galvan (MF), Quintero (FW), Colidio (FW), Salas (FW)

Key Match Insights and Betting Tips Considerations
Before placing any bets, several critical factors deserve attention ahead of this Apertura showdown.
- Argentinos Juniors are missing long-term absentees Diego Rodriguez and Matias Gimenez Rojas (both cruciate ligament injuries, return mid-2026).
- River Plate face significant absences including Germán Pezzella (cruciate ligament), Maximiliano Meza (knee), Sebastián Driussi (hamstring/muscle), Franco Armani (calf/heel), and others — weakening defense and attack depth.
- Argentinos show strong home defensive record with multiple clean sheets recently.
- River Plate suffered a heavy 1-4 loss in their last league game, exposing vulnerability to quick transitions.
- Low-scoring trend persists — three of Argentinos’ last five matches under 1.5 goals.
- River Plate average low away goal output in recent outings (0.5 goals per game in last six away).
- Argentinos dominate possession at home but struggle to create high-quality chances.
- No major scandals or coaching changes reported — focus remains on injury-hit squads and tactical discipline.
Free Tips on Argentinos Juniors vs River Plate
In this section we share several practical, match-specific free betting tips that can help you make more informed decisions for Argentinos Juniors vs River Plate on February 13, 2026. These suggestions are based purely on the statistical patterns, recent results, head-to-head history and current team contexts visible from the provided data. They avoid general advice and focus on elements that stand out in this particular fixture.
- Argentinos Juniors have kept clean sheets in 40% of their last five matches and show strong defensive numbers at home — consider Argentinos to win to nil or clean sheet markets if you believe River’s depleted forward line will struggle to create quality chances.
- Four of the last five head-to-head meetings between these teams finished with under 3.5 total goals, and three of Argentinos’ most recent five games had under 1.5 goals — the under 2.5 goals market continues to align strongly with current trends.
- River Plate have scored exactly one goal or fewer in four of their last six away matches across all competitions — backing River Plate under 1.5 team goals or River Plate to score 0-1 offers statistical support.
- Argentinos have won or drawn four of their last five home league games against River Plate (including the most recent 1-0 victory in 2024) — the Argentinos Juniors double chance (1X) remains one of the more historically grounded selections.
- Matches at Estadio Diego Armando Maradona involving these sides rarely produce high shot counts or big xG numbers — markets such as under 9.5 corners or under 22.5 total shots can provide reasonable value in low-event scenarios.
$ 0.00
$ 0.00
Argentinos Juniors vs River Plate Match Prediction
This promises to be a tactical, low-event battle shaped by absences and early-season caution. Argentinos Juniors vs River Plate odds reflect a close contest, but home advantage and River’s depleted squad tilt the balance slightly toward the hosts. Argentinos have kept things tight at Diego Armando Maradona and historically perform well against River in this stadium. River’s injury list — especially in defense and attack — limits their ability to dominate away from home. Expect a cagey game with few big chances, likely decided by a set-piece or individual mistake. The most probable outcome is a narrow Argentinos Juniors win or a low-scoring draw. Under 2.5 goals feels very realistic given both teams’ recent patterns and missing creative players. Argentinos’ defensive structure should frustrate River’s attack, while the visitors may struggle to create sustained pressure. A 1-0 or 1-1 scoreline aligns best with current trends and context.
Our Prediction: Argentinos Juniors 1-0 River Plate
| Prediction Type | Prediction | Odds |
| Match Result | Argentinos Juniors Win | 2.36 |
| Total Goals | Under 2.5 | 1.49 |
| Both Teams to Score | No | 1.69 |
You can place your bet on the Argentinos Juniors vs River Plate match at bc.game.