Facundo Colidio and the moment of truth at River: from the murmurings against Tigre to the golden opportunity of the Superclásico

The sequence occurred in one of the last actions in which Facundo Colidio he was on the field against banfield inside Monumental. The first one didn’t have a great match Tiger and that’s why he was replaced in the 26th minute of the second half by the young Agustín Ruberto. The action in question is a pressure on the away defense’s start that the attacker did not carry out. A couple of murmurs came down from the stands, just a couple mixed in with several cheers. And something similar happened when he left the playing field. Yes, the feeling is that Colidio is still in debt River. And on Sunday a fundamental match looms, one of those duels that usually seal the fate of great players.

In Núñez’s cast, everyone agrees that Colidio is one of the oldest players on the team. Not in vain they paid 4,500,000 euros to the Italian Inter to maintain the pass. The striker has signed a contract until December 2025 and has a release clause of 30 million euros, the tallest on the team. But the performances of the man born in Rafaela 24 years ago do not yet reflect the amount of his starting number.

Colidio took longer than expected to adapt to River. It is true that last semester coach Martín Demichelis did not establish him as a starter or give him many opportunities. One fact: he played just 7 minutes in the round of 16 of the Copa Libertadores against Inter de Porto Alegre. Other: of the 15 games played in 2023, he came off the bench in 12; I mean he’s only been there 3 times since the beginning. He simply scored 2 goals.

Salomón Rondón’s departure opened up an opportunity for him this year. Also the change of scheme: Demichelis left aside the draw with 5 midfielders and opted to play with 2 attackers. Colidio started the season as Miguel Borja’s partner and on the third match he broke through against Vélez, including a brace. But he once again showed an irregular performance against Deportivo Riestra and Atlético Tucumán and did not weigh against Banfield.

The duel against Taladro deserves a separate paragraph because he played as a reference in the area, a role in which he neither finds nor feels comfortable. Colidio has difficulty colliding with central defenders and prefers to have the pitch more in front than behind. The best version of his career was reached when he accompanied Mateo Retegui in Tigre. Borja’s absence forced him to move to the center. It is assumed – if Colibrí is excluded – that against Boca he will partner with Pablo Solari and they will rotate on the offensive front and will not have to remain between defenders Cristian Lema and Nicolás Figal.

Colidio began to win over millionaire fans when he decided to come to River in July last year when Boca and Juan Román Riquelme were strongly looking for him. The story is well known: the attacker was part of the Xeneize youth team and was sold without having made his debut for Inter in 2017. But the hope of seeing him shine has not yet materialized. And at River they know that their football will appear sooner or later. This is why the Superclásico presents itself as a decisive match for the Colidio. The moment of truth will be Sunday at 5pm at the Monumental.