The 2019–20 season is Defensa y Justicia's 7th consecutive season in the top division of Argentine football. In addition to the Primera División, the club are competing in the Copa Argentina, Copa de la Superliga and Copa Libertadores.

The season generally covers the period from 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2020.

Review Pre-season Before welcoming any new faces, Defensa y Justicia said goodbye to three players in the early months. Lisandro Martínez's transfer to Eredivisie side Ajax was announced on 20 May 2019, while Leonel Miranda switched Argentina for Mexico by signing for Tijuana and Ciro Rius left across the Primera División to Rosario Central in early June. José Luis Fernández was their next departure, as he joined Atlético Tucumán on 17 June. Jonás Gutiérrez departed to Banfield on 19 June. Three incomings came on 24 June, with Marcelo Herrera, Gonzalo Piovi and Juan Rodríguez moving from Belgrano, Racing Club and Fénix - while Daniel González went to Dorados de Sinaloa. Héctor Martínez, from River Plate, was loaned on 27 June. A day after, Rafael Barrios left for San Martín.

Defensa y Justicia defeated Defensores de Belgrano 2–0 on 29 June in a pre-season friendly, with the goals coming from Alexis Castro and Nicolás Fernández. They met in a second match straight after, with Héctor Martínez scoring his first goal in a 1–0 win. A number of players who were out on loan in 2018–19 officially returned to Defensa on 30 June 2019, with the ones loaned in doing likewise. Maximiliano Caire was signed by Gimnasia y Esgrima on 1 July, on the same day as Guido Mainero completed a loan move in from Vélez Sarsfield. Hours later, Nicolás Maná was snapped up; having spent the prior months unattached after leaving Greek team Panetolikos. Defensa captured Enzo Coacci from Olimpo on 2 July. Fernando Barrientos went back to Lanús soon after.

Hugo Silva moved to Estudiantes (BA) of Primera B Nacional on 1 July. Defensa remained unbeaten in pre-season on 3 July, after beating and drawing with Huracán at the Estadio Norberto "Tito" Tomaghello. Diego Mat. Rodríguez went to promoted Central Córdoba on 5 July, as Leonardo Villalba did on 12 July. Fernando Pellegrino rejoined Huracán on loan on 5 July, having returned from the same transaction on 30 June. Defensa drew back-to-back with Chacarita Juniors in friendlies on 6 July. Paraguayan youngster Braian Ojeda was loaned from Olimpia on 12 July. Newell's Old Boys were fought in exhibition matches on 13 July, with Defensa coming away without goals or a victory; drawing and losing games at the Predio Áreas Grandes in Florencio Varela.

Talleres, of Remedios de Escalada, clinched the loan signing of Matías Sosa on 17 July. Gonzalo Arrieta departed to Flandria on 19 July. Defensa revealed their squad numbers for 2019–20 on 19 July.

July Marcelo Herrera scored in Defensa y Justicia's opening competitive fixture of 2019–20, as he netted to take a Copa Argentina encounter with Gimnasia y Esgrima to penalties; which Defensa won, though Herrera was sent off early in the second half. Raúl Loaiza, who was on loan to San Lorenzo last season, joined Defensa permanently from Atlético Nacional on 25 July. After the arrival of Ojeda, a second Paraguayan in Aldo Maiz entered the ranks from General Díaz on 27 July. Defensa suffered a loss to Independiente on the opening day in the league on 28 July.

August On 1 August, Neri Cardozo was signed by Mariano Soso from Racing Club. Soon after, Juan Martín Lucero and Diego Mar. Rodríguez agreed contracts with Defensa from Liga MX's Tijuana. That date also saw Lucas Villarruel leave for Newell's Old Boys. Defensa made it two defeats from two Primera División fixtures on 4 August, losing on the road against Unión Santa Fe. Defensa's poor start to the competitive season continued on 18 August, as Arsenal de Sarandí scored three unanswered goals in the league at the Estadio Norberto "Tito" Tomaghello. Defensa met fellow winless club Gimnasia y Esgrima on 24 August, with Defensa coming away with their first victory after Rafael Delgado's strike in the second half. Defensa's first draw came on 30 August - versus Banfield.

Squad Squad No. Nationality Name Position(s) Date of birth (age) Signed from Goalkeepers 17 Nicolás Avellaneda GK Lanús (loan) 22 Ezequiel Unsain GK Newell's Old Boys Lucio Chiappero GK Academy Defenders 2 Adonis Frías CB Academy 3 Marcelo Benítez DF Academy 4 Julio González RB General Díaz 14 Marcelo Herrera CB Belgrano 16 Gonzalo Piovi LB Racing Club 19 Nicolás Tripichio RB Vélez Sarsfield 21 Héctor Martínez CB River Plate (loan) 28 Juan Rodríguez CB Fénix 33 Rafael Delgado LB Estudiantes Leonardo Marchi DF Academy Santiago Zurbriggen RB Lanús Midfielders 5 Neri Cardozo LM Racing Club 7 Bautista Merlini LM San Lorenzo (loan) 8 Guido Mainero RM Vélez Sarsfield (loan) 11 Alexis Castro LM San Lorenzo (loan) 15 Diego Mar. Rodríguez DM Tijuana 18 Francisco Cerro LM Rayo Vallecano 26 Braian Ojeda CM Olimpia (loan) 27 Enzo Coacci MF Olimpo 30 Raúl Loaiza DM Atlético Nacional Ignacio González LM Danubio Aldo Maiz MF General Díaz Tomás Ortiz MF Academy Lautaro Quiroz MF Academy Forwards 9 Fernando Márquez CF Johor Darul Ta'zim (loan) 29 Nicolás Fernández LW Academy 31 Nicolás Maná RW Panetolikos 32 Ignacio Aliseda LW Academy Juan Martín Lucero CF Tijuana Ricardo Ramírez FW Academy Out on loan Loaned to Eugenio Isnaldo LW Unión La Calera Fernando Pellegrino GK Huracán (loan) Matías Sosa AM Talleres (RE)

Transfers Domestic transfer windows:3 July 2019 to 24 September 201920 January 2020 to 19 February 2020.

Transfers in Date from Position Nationality Name From Ref. 1 July 2019 RW Nicolás Maná Unattached 3 July 2019 CB Marcelo Herrera Belgrano 3 July 2019 LB Gonzalo Piovi Racing Club 3 July 2019 CB Juan Rodríguez Fénix 3 July 2019 MF Enzo Coacci Olimpo 25 July 2019 DM Raúl Loaiza Atlético Nacional 27 July 2019 MF Aldo Maiz General Díaz 1 August 2019 LM Neri Cardozo Racing Club 1 August 2019 CF Juan Martín Lucero Tijuana 1 August 2019 DM Diego Mar. Rodríguez

Transfers out Date from Position Nationality Name To Ref. 14 June 2019 CM Leonel Miranda Tijuana 24 June 2019 LM Daniel González Dorados de Sinaloa 1 July 2019 CB Lisandro Martínez Ajax 3 July 2019 RW Ciro Rius Rosario Central 3 July 2019 LM José Luis Fernández Atlético Tucumán 3 July 2019 LM Jonás Gutiérrez Banfield 3 July 2019 RB Rafael Barrios San Martín 3 July 2019 RB Maximiliano Caire Gimnasia y Esgrima 3 July 2019 CB Hugo Silva Estudiantes (BA) 5 July 2019 MF Diego Mat. Rodríguez Central Córdoba 12 July 2019 RW Leonardo Villalba 19 July 2019 CB Gonzalo Arrieta Flandria 1 August 2019 DM Lucas Villarruel Newell's Old Boys

Loans in Start date Position Nationality Name From End date Ref. 3 July 2019 CB Héctor Martínez River Plate 30 June 2020 3 July 2019 RM Guido Mainero Vélez Sarsfield 30 June 2020 12 July 2019 CM Braian Ojeda Olimpia 30 June 2020

Loans out Start date Position Nationality Name To End date Ref. 5 July 2019 GK Fernando Pellegrino Huracán 30 June 2020 17 July 2019 AM Matías Sosa Talleres (RE) 30 June 2020

Friendlies Pre-season Defensa y Justicia's first opponent of pre-season was revealed on 20 June, as Primera B Nacional side Chacarita Juniors scheduled an exhibition match with them for 6 July. A five-match announcement, including games versus Defensores de Belgrano and Temperley, was made by the club on 27 June; though the Temperley meeting was later cancelled.

Mid-season A friendly was announced, on 24 June, with newly-promoted tier two team Atlanta. A third encounter versus Atlético Tucumán was also set. Aldosivi revealed an exhibition match with them on 4 September.

Competitions Primera División

League table

Relegation table Team Relegation 2Racing 45 57 6 108 57 3Arsenal 0 0 9 9 5 4Defensa y Justicia 44 53 4 101 57 5River Plate 45 45 8 98 57 6Independiente 46 38 6 90 56 Source: AFA

Results summary

Matches The fixtures for the 2019–20 campaign were released on 10 July.

Copa Argentina

La Plata's Gimnasia y Esgrima were drawn to face Defensa y Justicia in the Copa Argentina, at the neutral venue of the Estadio Alfredo Beranger in Turdera; all matches in the competition are played neutrally.

Copa de la Superliga

Copa Libertadores

Squad statistics Appearances and goals No.Pos.NationalityNameLeagueCupLeague CupContinentalTotalDisciplineRefAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals2CBAdonis Frías0000000000003DFMarcelo Benítez1010000020204RBJulio González400(1)000004(1)0105LMNeri Cardozo4000000040007LMBautista Merlini0(3)01000001(3)0108RMGuido Mainero1(2)00(1)000001(3)0209CFFernando Márquez31000000310011LMAlexis Castro2(3)01000003(3)02014CBMarcelo Herrera20110000311115DMDiego Mar. Rodríguez30000000302016LBGonzalo Piovi30100000403017GKNicolás Avellaneda00000000000018LMFrancisco Cerro00000000000019RBNicolás Tripichio1(1)01000002(1)00021CBHéctor Martínez2(1)00(1)000002(2)01022GKEzequiel Unsain50100000600026CMBraian Ojeda1(1)00000001(1)00027MFEnzo Coacci0(1)00000000(1)00028CBJuan Rodríguez40000000400029LWNicolás Fernández50100000601030DMRaúl Loaiza40000000401031RWNicolás Maná2(2)00000002(2)00032LWIgnacio Aliseda2(1)01000003(1)00033LBRafael Delgado511000006110–GKLucio Chiappero000000000000–LMIgnacio González000000000000–LWEugenio Isnaldo000000000000–CFJuan Martín Lucero000000000000–MFAldo Maiz000000000000–DFLeonardo Marchi000000000000–MFTomás Ortiz000000000000–GKFernando Pellegrino000000000000–MFLautaro Quiroz000000000000–FWRicardo Ramírez000000000000–AMMatías Sosa000000000000–RBSantiago Zurbriggen000000000000Own goals—0—0—0—0—0———Players who left during the season5DMLucas Villarruel101000002000 Statistics accurate as of 31 August 2019.

Goalscorers NameLeagueCupLeague CupContinentalTotalRef1CB14Marcelo Herrera01001CF9Fernando Márquez10001LB33Rafael Delgado10001Own goals00000Totals21003—

Notes

References