Union and River played in February and it was a win for the Santa Fe team. Photo: JUAN JOSE GARCIA.
River Plate visits the Unión de Santa Fe in search of their first Professional Football League (LPF) victory after three dates in which they expressed a marked decline in their football performances, a cause for concern as they are close to the round of 16 in la Libertadores Cup.
The match at the 15 de Abril stadium, valid for the fourth round, will be played from 18:00 with the arbitration of Pablo Echavarría and broadcast by ESPN Premium.
An unexpected start to the season in local football, with a draw against Defensa y Justicia (0-0), Atlético Tucumán (0-0) and Colón (0-1), resulted in Marcelo Gallardo’s worst start to the season era, which runs from mid-2014.
We have to go back to the 2007 Apertura, with Daniel Passarella at the helm, to find the last time that River added only two points in the first three days of a tournament, even if on that occasion they did so with three goals in favor and not zero like in this championship.
That formation of the “Kaiser”, integrated among others by Eduardo Tuzzio, Oscar Ahumada, Matías Abelairas, Leonardo Ponzio, Mauro Rosales and the “Burrito” Ariel Ortega, won the fourth game against Estudiantes de La Plata (4-2) , so the “Doll” team will have to get the same thing tomorrow in order not to increase the negative statistic.
In his last visit on April 15, on February 12 this year, the venue won 1-0 with former Boca Mauro Luna Diale, on a penalty.
As for the drought, if he does not convert against the Unión, the “Millionaire” will repeat the worst goal record of the Gallardo era, which occurred in the 2018/19 Superliga when he combined 0-0 against Huracán, Belgrano de Córdoba and Argentinos with another front to the Racing Club for the Libertadores.
This situation at River came after the shocking victory over Peru’s Alianza Lima (8-1) on 25 May, the night Julián Álvarez made history by scoring 6 goals, an unprecedented record for an official match in the 121 years of club life.
And it is worrying in the face of the key to the round of 16 against Vélez Sarsfield, which will be played on 29 June at the José Amalfitani de Liniers stadium, with a rematch on 6 July at the Monumental.
Despite everything, Gallardo does not foresee changes in attack in Santa Fe, even if he does foresee two changes in defense (Andrés Herrera for Emanuel Mammana) and in midfield (Enzo Pérez for Bruno Zuculini).
The main novelty will be on the substitutes’ bench with the return of Juan Fernando Quintero, who has been stopped for almost two months due to a hamstring tear, suffered on April 13, which he suffered on May 17, before the match against the workshops of Cordoba.
The Colombian was included in the list of concentrates for the match, unlike the Chilean Paulo Díaz, who the coach preferred to reserve after his recent arrival from a tour with the national team.
River, with 2 points, is in 26th place. place in the League and Union, tenth with 4, after having chained a defeat, a draw – in the classic against Colón – and a victory,
After beating Barracas Central this week, the prospects for Uruguayan coach Gustavo Munúa have darkened due to the injury of striker Jonatan Álvez (torn left thigh) and the increase in Covid-19 cases on campus.
Having disqualified midfielder Juan Portillo, the “Tatengue” awaits the epidemiological discharge of defender Diego Polenta and midfielder Juan Ignacio Nardoni to define their starting line-up.
River and Union have played 68 times in league tournaments with a balance of 29 millionaire wins, 24 draws and 15 wins in Santa Fe.
= Probable formations =
Union (Santa Fe): Santiago Melé; Emanuel Brítez, Franco Calderón, Diego Polenta or Leonel Bucca and Claudio Corvalán; Federico Vera, Enzo Roldán, Juan Nardon or Matías Gallegos and Kevin Zenón; Mauro Luna Dial and Mariano Peralta Bauer. DT: Gustavo Munua.
River Plate: Franco Armani; Andrés Herrera, Leandro González Pirez, Héctor Martínez and Elías Gómez; Enzo Fernández, Enzo Pérez and Nicolás De la Cruz; Santiago Simón, Julián Álvarez and Esequiel Barco. DT: Marcelo Gallardo.
Referee: Pablo Echavarria.
stage: Union of Santa Fe.
Start time: 18:00.
TV: ESPN Premium.
Source: Clarin
