Boca Juniors and River Plate will play this Saturday a new superclassic of Argentine football, but the coaches of both teams are considering using an alternative formation so that the usual starters arrive rested in the semifinals of the Copa Liberators from next week.
River Plate will host Palmeiras on Tuesday 5 January and Boca Juniors will play the following day against Saints in the Bombonera.
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Earlier, ‘xeneizes’ and ‘millionaires’ will face each other on the fourth day of the second phase of the Diego Maradona Cup (The Argentine League).
With two games to go, Boca Juniors and River Plate lead Group A of the Championship Phase with seven points, followed by Argentines Juniors (with 4), Independent and Hurricane (3) and Arsenal (1). A victory would lead to the winner in the final, but it would not secure him a place either.
For this reason, and for the possible lack of rest, is that both Miguel Ángel Russo (coach of Boca Juniors) and Marcelo Gallardo (River Plate) plan to make variables in the initial lineup.
Colombian offensive midfielder Edwin Cardona has recovered from an enterocolitis he suffered and is available to Russo, who has all his players in optimal physical condition. In addition, it is almost a fact that striker Carlos Tévez, 36, will be on the bench to arrive rested on Wednesday’s duel, but the partisan press says that the ‘Apache’ asked the coach to play as well against River Plate.
(Read also: Interview: Quadrat, the Colombian footballer of the year for EL TEMPS).
The reigning local football champion has a better goal difference (+4 against +3) and would not look down on a draw at La Bombonera. Despite the hermeticism, Russo is expected to have a mixed team, with some starters and other regular substitutes.
Russo would use other Colombians in the starting lineup: Sebastià Vila and Jorman Campuzano. Possibly Frank Fabra has minutes too.
The lineup of the ‘xeneize’ would be: Esteban Andrada; Julio Buffarini, Carlos Zambrano, Carlos Izquierdoz, Emmanuel Mas; Sebastià Vila, Nicolás Capaldo, Jorman Campuzano; Edwin Cardona, Ramón Abila and Mauro Zárate.
On the other hand, everything seems to indicate that River Plate, which will have one less day off because it receives Palmeiras on Tuesday, will play with an alternative team, with substitutes and youngsters.
Striker Lucas ‘Bear’ Pratto, who had lost the title but was important, left this week for the Netherlands to play on loan at Feyenoord. In addition, the ‘millionaire’ will suffer injuries to the two left-backs (Milton Casc and Fabrizio Angileri) and the Chilean central defender Paulo Díaz.
River Plate would play with Enrique Bologna; Elías López, Santiago Sosa, Javier Pinol, Jorge Moreira; Leonardo Ponzio, Bruno Zuculini, Ignacio Fernández; Lucas Beltrán, Federico Girotti and Julián Álvarez.
Colombians Rafael Santos I erased and Jorge Carrascal would not be starters, but if necessary, they would enter the match.
The other matches in this group will be Independent-Arsenal and Hurricane-Argentine Juniors.
Tournament mode
After a match against each rival, the winners of the Championship Phases A and B will face in a final to define the champion of the Cup Diego Maradona (the Argentine League), who will qualify for the Copa Libertadores de 2021. The winners of each Complementation phase will play each other and the winner will face the team that lost the final of the Championship phase. Whatever is imposed in this duel will qualify for the 2022 South American Cup.
Schedule of matches for the fourth date of the second phase (from 02 to 05 January):
Saturday 2: Boca Juniors-River Plate and Rosario Central-Defense and Justice.
Sunday 3: Independent-Arsenal, Patronat-Lanús, Newell’s-Velez and Central Córdoba-Racing Club.
Monday 4: Sant Llorenç-Gymnastics, Workshops-Banfield and Aldosivi-Union.
Tuesday 5: Hurricane-Argentines, Atlético Tucumán-Colom and Godoy Cruz-Estudiantes.
EFE