The second tier of Argentine football—commonly but unofficially dubbed “Argentina B”—is entering a 2024 season packed with story lines that could reshape the nation’s talent pipeline and promotion race. Here are the key predictions you should bookmark before kickoff.
1. Newly-relegated sides will bounce fast
Last season’s drop zone sent three historic names—Club Atlético Huracán, Godoy Cruz, and Central Córdoba—into the “B” standings. Expect at least two of them to finish inside the top-four promotion zone. Their wage budgets still dwarf most rivals, and they kept first-division loanees who never got a real shot in Liga Profesional.
2. Youth, not veterans, will decide the title
Argentina’s U-20 World Cup triumph last May convinced club boards to accelerate academy graduates. Watch for 18-year-old attacking midfielder Lautaro Ovando (acquired on loan by Independiente Rivadavia) and 19-year-old centre-back Tomás Lecanda (Estudiantes’ “B” squad). If they log 2,000 minutes each, their clubs become instant promotion contenders.
3. The tactical trend: high-line pressing with a back three
Coaches finally trust young centre-backs’ recovery pace. Expect at least six teams to line up in a 3–4–2–1, turning midfield turnovers into 60-second counterattacks. The formations won’t just wow spectators; they will inflate goal totals and create value on “over 2.5 goals” markets until sportsbooks adjust.
4. Surprise package: Deportivo Maipú
The Mendoza outfit finished 12th last year but quietly signed two of South America’s top data-scouted undervalued strikers: Uruguayan Franco Lombardo (0.72 xG/90 in 2023) and Paraguayan Gustavo Martínez (6.1 aerials won per match). Expect them to sit in playoff position by late October.
5. Relegation candidates: teams with empty analytics departments
Clubs that ignored analytical recruitment—Atlético de Rafaela, Ferro Carril Oeste, Nueva Chicago—filled gaps with 32-plus-year-olds on expiring contracts. If their first six-match winless run coincides with early injuries, they’ll be dragged into a relegation play-off that few thought possible in August.
6. Top-four prediction (order of finish)
1. Club Atlético Huracán – depth and desperation.
2. Godoy Cruz – goals from set pieces.
3. Independiente Rivadavia – Ovando-led attack.
4. Deportivo Maipú – analytics edge.
Bold forecast: at least one Argentina B breakout star will be recruited by a top-five Brasileirão side before the July window closes, repeating the Enzo Fernández pathway and injecting fresh cash into whichever “second-tier” club cashes in.
