Sebastián Battaglia received good news before the match against Karera for the semi-finals of the League Cup. And it is that Carlos Izquierdoz is left with his lumbar discomfort and the DT can rely on the defender, captain and benchmark of the squad, to measure himself against the Avellanedas for a place in the domestic tournament definition.
However, the coach will review the options. First, because the level of the Peruvian Zambrano was accompanied by the growth of the team’s soccer. Then, because it includes competition, filmmaking and the duo with Marcos Rojo is the team found some stability in recent games. And also, because Izquierdoz has already met the Libertadores suspension date and the coach prefers not to risk it early on thinking about the last two days of the Cup (Red will lose against the Corinthians).
In this scenario, although Battaglia still has no meaning, the trend favors Zambrano and Rojo to once again be the center-back duo against Racing. And that Advíncula (to the limit from the physical) and Fabra stood on the sides.
In practice, the coach tested eleven with a tactical variant in which he ended – and resolved – the game against Defense and Justice. This is because he kept Salvio and included Juan Ramírez, freeing Óscar Romero from the attack, but leaning on the right sector of the attack. So, he went on to a more marked 4-3-1-2, plus Alan Varela center steering wheel and Pol Fernandez to the right. Is the idea to fight more in the middle circle in front of a continuous Racing game?
With Sebastián Villa as the most unbalanced attacking piece and with Darío Benedetto retained (Luis Vázquez played in his place while rehearsing so he wouldn’t get tired) the vacant spot will be contested by Salvio, who has greatly improved in his last game, or the midfielder He broke the curse of lack of goals in midfield in 2022.
Juan Ramírez entered the fight against the Defense and organized the fight. Does he enter the starting 11? Photo: Marcelo Carroll.
Be attentive to the virtues of Racing
Knowing how comfortable Fernando Gago’s team feels when they have space for attack, Racing’s intensity could be a problem if it blocks Boca’s central core. Therefore, Ramírez’s inclusion will give the defense another option to move the ball if Varela and Pol are unable to do so.
On the other hand, the assignment of Facundo Tello (Diego Abal is in the VAR) as match judge it doesn’t go down well on the Boca Estate of Ezeiza. It was that the last precedent in Avellaneda with the referee was against Independiente, in the same League Cup, under a deluge.
That day, the referee did not dismiss Juan Insaurralde from Chaco, who hit Villa in the face, and then dismissed Frank Fabra for a double warning. After that game, it was captain Carlos Izquierdoz who detailed his look at Tello: “The referee is bad, he’s very bad … You speak well to him and he answers in any way”. Now he will be the judge of the semifinals.
Source: Clarin