One day before the League Cup Superclásico: what must River do to beat Boca at the Monumental?

They were days of various tests and in-depth analyzes for the coach Martin Demichelis. After the poor 1-1 home draw against Banfield, Micho celebrated that he would have a long week to work towards Super classic tomorrow at 5pm at the Monumentale. He tested and rotated the DT, looking for variations to think about Mouth. The probable absence of the marker Miguel Borja is the central theme in River. Pablo Solari AND Claudio Echeverri They appear as candidates to replace the Hummingbird. To this doubt is added another in midfield Nicola Fonseca AND Rodrigo Villagra. But these questions are secondary for Demichelis because he is very clear about the main ones. What does River have to do to beat Boca? Attack, attack and attack.

The idea has no gray areas for Demichelis, beyond the fact that it includes safeguards. “I imagine River as protagonists, because we will have the satisfaction of playing with our people and in a packed stadium. We are very optimistic in every sense. We must prepare for the week with a lot of seriousness, a lot of professionalism and a lot of fun”, warned the coach after the match against Banfield.

What River will try not to give up on its principles: stay in the rival field and grow starting from the mandate. It is, no more and no less, what he has done throughout the cycle. Of course, there are small details that cannot be left to chance against Boca, as can be allowed against smaller rivals. When attacking with many players, River often suffers from defensive setbacks.

It is known: Demichelis expects the full-backs, Marcelo Herrera and Enzo Díaz, to be deep and aggressive. This arrangement causes defenders Leandro González Pirez and Paulo Díaz to play long passes one-on-one with rival attackers. The weak performances of Rodrigo Aliendro and the lack of physical presence of the Uruguayan Nicolás Fonseca have increased the chances of Villagra becoming a starter. The former Talleres midfielder is intelligent in occupying spaces and has a more defensive profile. The inclusion of the brand new reinforcement would provide greater balance to the team.

The larger magnifying glass will be on the attack. The feeling is that if the half attackers are well, Boca will suffer. Núñez’s cast has a roster full of hierarchies in the top positions. Esequiel Barco is the most decisive player, without a doubt. The greatest hopes will be placed in the former Independiente, who shows the best version of him when he begins to settle in the left sector. Barco’s fast dribbling can be crucial in gaining the backs of rival midfielders, in supporting attacking winger Luis Advíncula and in taking Cristian Lema, a powerful defender who finds long runs difficult, out of his comfort zone. Of course, for Barco’s game to work, it is essential that the rest of his teammates accompany him.

Another point to address is the position of Ignacio Fernández: he performs better on the right than playing centrally. Nacho usually forms a good tandem with the full-back.

And finally the question arises from the side of Facundo Colidio, who doesn’t like playing between central defenders. Solari’s presence would make the former Boca player move a few meters to the left and get closer to Barco. What happens and weighs on Demichelis is that Solari is the player who best enters from the flank. The alternative then would be Echeverri to break with a pure dribble from the center.

The cards are exposed for Demichelis: he still has some adjustments left, but he doesn’t negotiate the idea of ​​attacking and being ambitious.