The Monumental stadium is preparing to host an exciting match between River and Atlético Tucumán, in the framework of the 14th round of the Professional Football League. With his mind set on the quarter-finals of the Copa Libertadores and the upcoming Superclásico against Boca Juniors, Marcelo Gallardo has decided to bet on a mixed line-up, combining starters and substitutes to face the team from Tucumán.
River The team from Núñez comes into this match after a break for the FIFA date and a short pre-season designed by Gallardo. The team from Núñez has had an irregular start in the local tournament, occupying the 11th position after two consecutive draws.
However, the team’s main focus is on the Copa Libertadores, where they will face Colo Colo in the quarter-finals next Tuesday. Marcelo Gallardo, known for his squad management skills and tactical approach, has decided to use a mixed team for this match.
The idea is to give some of the players who have accumulated a lot of minutes a rest, especially those who participated in the South American Qualifiers. Among them are the Uruguayans and the Chilean Paulo Díaz, a regular starter who accumulated a lot of minutes with his national team.
In the last training session, Gallardo fine-tuned the team’s performance, preparing the players for a series of demanding matches. The players who returned from the qualifiers rejoined the squad on Wednesday and Thursday, so Gallardo could wait until the last minute to decide whether to include them in the starting lineup.
For this match, it is expected that River Plate will field a lineup with Franco Armani in goal; Fabricio Bustos, German Pezzella, Leandro Gonzalez Pirez and Milton Casco or Marcos Acuna in defense; Rodrigo Villagra or Matias Kranevitter, Santiago Simon, Nacho Fernandez and Claudio Echeverri in midfield; and Facundo Colidio and Miguel Borja up front.
Complicated rival
For its part, Atlético Tucumán arrives at the Monumental on a positive streak, occupying second place in the Professional League after an important victory against Racing. The team led by Facundo Sava could count on the return of two key players: Marcelo Estigarribia and Mateo Coronel.
This match is crucial for both teams, although for different reasons. For Riveris an opportunity to get back on track in the local tournament and head into the important clash against Colo Colo in the Copa Libertadores with confidence. In addition, the Superclásico against Boca Juniors is coming up, and a victory against Atlético Tucumán could be a significant morale boost for Gallardo’s team.
