Gallardo faces two selection dilemmas for River against Barracas Central | OneFootball

The moment of truth begins for Marcelo Gallardo’s renewed River. After wrapping up an intense preseason—which resulted in a demanding physical tune-up, three new signings, and two friendlies—the work must now be transferred to official competition. And, based on what was seen in Uruguay, the “Muñeco” already has the team on track, although at this point in the week he still has two questions ahead of the debut against Barracas Central.

The main news will be between the posts: Santiago Beltrán will be the starting goalkeeper due to injuries to Franco Armani and Ezequiel Centurión. Beyond this forced change, the rest of the starting eleven would be the same as the one tested as a dress rehearsal in the preparation matches. The doubts revolve around the third midfielder and Sebastián Driussi’s partner in attack, also considering the absence of Marcos Acuña (who will be replaced by Matías Viña).

The draw and subsequent victory on penalties against Peñarol exposed the overlap in characteristics between Aníbal Moreno, Fausto Vera, and Kevin Castaño, which opened the door to a possible adjustment in midfield. In this context, the coaching staff is considering adding a more offensive-minded midfielder with a presence in the box, instead of the Colombian.

The surprise that has gained momentum in recent hours is Tomás Galván, whom Gallardo himself asked to stay despite Vélez’s interest in renewing his loan. The other name in contention is Giuliano Galoppo, an alternative with a greater knack for scoring, although currently somewhat behind in terms of link-up play.

In the attack, the only one with a guaranteed spot, despite his recent inconsistency, is Sebastián Driussi. The battle for the second spot is between Facundo Colidio and Ian Subiabre, whom the coaching staff saw make clear progress during preseason. Maximiliano Salas, who seemed a sure thing for 2025, is now trailing and all indications are that he will start the season as a substitute.

River’s probable lineup for the Apertura debut Santiago Beltrán; Gonzalo Montiel, Lucas Martínez Quarta, Lautaro Rivero, Matías Viña; Fausto Vera, Aníbal Moreno, Kevin Castaño or Giuliano Galoppo or Tomás Galván; Juan Fernando Quintero, Sebastián Driussi, and Facundo Colidio or Ian Subiabre.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.