The numbers of the players who will play the Superclásico: those who have played the most and the least, the one who has won the most and the one who has worn both shirts

Next Sunday, May 7, a new edition of the Argentine Superclásico will be played, the 259th in history. It will have old acquaintances and new protagonists. In the river and in the mouth. As in any previous one, there are data and curiosities that accompany the wait. Those who have played more and less, those who have scored goals, those who will debut and the series of each.

The experience is provided by River

Many of the players who will go to the Monumental on Sunday have already participated in last year’s classic, which was played on 11 September and Boca won 1-0 at La Bombonera with a goal from Marcelo Benedetto. But while River have six players with 10 or more superclassics played, Boca only one has reached ten.

Jonatan Maidana is the one who has played the most classics. He did it first with Boca and with River he added 20, with 7 wins, 8 draws and 5 defeats, as well as having scored a goal, in the 1-0 Apertura 2010, more than a decade ago. Next, Milton Casco with 16 (Won 5, Drawn 6 and Lost 5), Enzo Pérez with 15 (Won 5, Drawn 6 and Lost 4), Franco Armani with 13 (Won 5, Drawn 5 and Lost 3), Ignacio Fernández do 11 (4 wins, 4 draws and 3 losses) and Nicolás de la Cruz with 10 (2 wins, 4 draws and 4 losses).

On the other hand, only the Colombian Frank Fabra, still in doubt for Sunday, is the only one to have arrived in double figures: 10, with 4 wins, 3 draws and 3 defeats. Next, Sebastián Villa, with 9.

few markers

Only four of the players who will be present at the River stadium have scored goals in the superclassic. Besides Maidana, Ignacio Fernández also has a goal for River, in the semi-final of the 2019 Copa Libertadores, as River won 2-0. The other is Agustín Palavecino, who scored in the 1-1 draw of the Copa de la Professional League 2021 played at the Monumentale.

Colombian Sebastián Villa is the one with the most goals against River, three. Just like Dario Benedetto who, injured, will not be among Jorge Almirón’s concentrates. The striker scored in the 2-2 draw of the Diego Maradona Cup at the Bombonera and in the 1-1 draw of the 2021 Professional League Cup, also at La Boca. The third was 1-0 at Monumental on March 20 last year, for the 2022 Professional League Cup.

For the first time

For both Martín Demichelis and Jorge Almirón it will be the first time as coaches at River-Boca. Micho has experienced it as a player seven times, three official and four friendlieswhile the Xeneize coach has already faced the millionaire seven times but from the bench of Godoy Cruz, Independiente and Lanús, with three wins and four defeats.

In the case of gamers They are able to play their first Superclásico Enzo Díaz, Salomón Rondón, Tomás Castro, Franco Alfonso and substitute goalkeeper Ezequiel Centurión, on the River side; while in Boca, Sergio Romero, Valentín Barco, Bruno Valdez, Ezequiel Fernández, Miguel Merentiel and Nicolás Valentini. Also regular substitutes such as Gabriel Aranda, Javier Morales, Lautaro Di Lollo and Nahuel Génez.

Those absent for red

Most of the players from the previous game take care of themselves in order to be in the most important game of Argentine football. However, there are two who will be looking at it from the outside. José Paradela was sent off against Atlético Tucumán on Friday. He received both cards in one minute, the first for protesting and the second for an elbow on Joaquín Pereyra.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, Martín Payero was shown the red light against Racing, for grabbing Nardoni by the neck, in the middle of a fight between several players. Referee Andrés Merlos also expelled the player from the academy.

points difference

A surprising fact is that in this preview, River have a 16-point lead over Boca in the standings ranking. It’s the largest million-dollar difference over its classic rival since 1995, when three-pointers began being awarded for wins. Breaking the record of the 2013 Final, which was 12, with Millo in first place and his rival in ninth. Boca, on the other hand, recorded a bigger difference in the Apertura 98, by 17 points.

No long streaks

Last year Boca won the two official classics: 1-0 with a goal from Villa at the Monumental for the League Cup and 1-0 with a goal from Benedetto at the Bombonera for the League Tournament. Meanwhile, River won 2-1 in the classic on 3 October 2021, for the League Tournament, with two goals from Julián Alvarez (Carlos Zambrano del Boca), also in Núñez, scene of Sunday’s clash.