Vélez and River, in a Libertadores night, anything but ideal: who better reaches the cupbearer’s crossing?

Neither Vélez nor River make it to this first leg of the Copa Libertadores round of 16 as they dreamed of at the beginning of the year, when the illusion of conquering America began. The team designed by Marcelo Gallardo, with many midfielders assisting a single striker, did not work and the coach is still looking for the scheme that best suits his well-known game idea. El Fortín, meanwhile, started the season with Mauricio Pellegrino on the bench, played the whole group stage with Julio Vaccari as manager and now has opted for Alexander Medina. All this, however, will not be an impediment for the game to be attractive and exciting: this Wednesday will be measured from 9.30 pm with the refereeing of the Brazilian Raphael Claus.

In River, the ideal team does not yet exist and that is why the formations change from game to game. Worried about the poor performance, Marcelo Gallardo decided to change the tactical scheme and names in the preview of the match against the Unión in Santa Fe. And it didn’t go badly: he beat 5-1. “Sometimes, when they orient themselves, you have to analyze and understand that you can change”, the doll was sincere. That idea (design and interpreters) was repeated in the 2-1 victory against Lanús and the feeling is that it will be the same to face Vélez.

We know: the imponderables usually appear in football. All what Gallardo dreamed of in the summer preseason fell apart over the months. To compete with Vélez, for example, he will not have his starting wings: Robert Rojas and Milton Casco. The Paraguayan is recovering from the fracture of the tibia and fibula suffered on 6 April in the match against Alianza Lima, while Casco has just received a medical discharge this week and should start from the bench. Emanuel Mammana and Elías Gómez will guard the gangs. In the rear, Paulo Díaz met expectations and David Martínez alternated for better and for worse. One question: Can Jonatan Maidana or Leandro González Pirez be put in by the left-handed central defender to contain Lucas Pratto’s physical play?

The midfield of 5 players no longer runs with which Gallardo tried at the beginning of the season. The idea of ​​stocking the lonely Julián Álvarez with incoming flyers didn’t work. The bet was with Esequiel Barco on the left and Santiago Simón or Juan Fernando Quintero on the right, with inmates Enzo Fernández and Nicolás De la Cruz plus Enzo Pérez as the axis. Now, River will call on a 4-4-2 or 4-1-3-2 with Braian Romero accompanying Álvarez and José Paradela on one of the flanks. Doubt is De la Cruz or Barco. If the Uruguayan recovers from the discomfort in his right calf, he will leave from Amalfitani.

Vélez’s present is even more complex because he has a new manager and players who have joined in the last few hours. The hand of Cacique Medina has already begun to show up in the 5 dates of the local tournament, although it is clear that the idea lacks shooting. Reinforcements Leonardo Burián, Diego Godín and Walter Bou have been training a couple of days a week and are available, but the most logical thing would be for them to wait for their place on the bench. “I can’t wait to play,” Bou warned. “Not the best river,” Burián was encouraged.

Of the three recent arrivals, Bou has the most chance of joining the team to accompany Lucas Pratto, the reference in the area. The former Defense will fight for the place with Joel Soñora. What Medina has not revealed is the tactical scheme: it can be a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1.

Vélez and River, who are still in search of the ideal at the beginning of July, clash in Liniers. But Libertadores appears and will say that the Argentine’s competitiveness is present. Yes, the show is guaranteed.