Torneo de TransiciГіn Tipsheet: Students to start new term with a win

Estudiantes enjoyed a campaign of much promise last year under Mauricio Pellegrino

After a week's delay, Argieball is back and it's ready for action, with our South American football expert Ed Malyon spying some prime value in the opening round of fixtures...

Defensa y Justicia vs Racing Club - Sunday 00:30

Racing Club are infuriating as every season they seem to buy the sort of players that should put them in the title race, only to fail. It has been this way before virtually every one of the last five or six short tournaments and yet each time they have contrived to struggle, only challenging once when Diego Simeone's conservative side ended up a distant second to Boca Juniors.

Diego Milito, Ezequiel Videla, Luciano Lollo, Marcos Acua and Nicolas Sanchez are all good signings while the returns of Ricky Centurin and Ivan Pillud also represent handy business, giving Racing one of the strongest sides in the division.

Milito has the experience and quality to be the best player in the division, a lot will depend on his physical condition but he has come through pre-season unscathed and this bodes well for Racing to at least compete in the upper reaches this season.

Their hosts this weekend are newly-promoted Defensa y Justicia, who despite being some 79 years old have never played in the Argentine top flight before now. El Defe have traditionally been a second-tier club, in fact, they have spent more seasons at that level than any other club.

A lot of their success last season was built around the goals of Juan Martin Lucero, who left for Independiente last month, and their off-season recruitment doesn't inspire much hope. There's little in the way of proven top-flight performers and, shorn of the second tier's top scorer, they will need to find a new source of goals very quickly.

While many promoted sides have in the past impressed early on by being organised and tight at the back, Defensa y Justicia had the worst defence in the top five and we don't expect them to be as tough to beat as their fellow new arrivals.

Thus we are siding with Racing 3.211/5, even with their fondness for deception, the visitors look great Draw No Bet potential with two of the best players in the division taking on a very questionable newcomer who are likely to struggle in attack.

Recommended Bet: Back Racing 0&+0.5 at 1.768/11

Arsenal de Sarand vs Estudiantes La Plata - Monday 22:00

It's been a time of great change at Arsenal de Sarand both on and off the pitch, with club founder Julio Grondona dying and a huge player exodus. Eight or nine genuine first-teamers have left the club after the Torneo Final and that is too much for rookie manager Martin Palermo to simply suck up and deal with.

The replacements brought in look nowhere near the same standard. Arsenal finished fourth from bottom last season, losing more games than any other side in the league, and with a lower-quality crop of players yet to bed in, it's hard to have much optimism about their chances in the upcoming campaign - especially in the early weeks.

Visiting them are Estudiantes, a side with lofty ambitions after a decent tilt at the championship last semester. Under talented young coach Mauricio Pellegrino they looked solid - boasting the best defence in the division - and they've held onto talented youngsters Joaquin Correa (for now) and Guido Carrillo among others.

Goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli has been snapped up by La Liga side Real Sociedad and Jonathan Silva is bound for Portugal, but Estu have bought well in Gabriel Graciani - a source of plenty of Coln's goals last season - and Sebastian Prediger.

That leaves them rightful favourites to win in Zona Sur, at 2.447/5, an utterly backable price when you compare the stability and promise of the visitors with the mess in Sarand, and the handicap may even be worth a look. 

Recommended Bet: Back Estudiantes at 2.447/5