Former Unión man Valentín Fascendini set to start again for Talleres | OneFootball

Talleres has already begun preparations for its next match in the Clausura Tournament. The team led by Jorge Sampaoli will visit Gimnasia de Mendoza this Monday at 9:30 p.m. at the Víctor Legrotaglie stadium, in a match in which the Albiazul coach will have to start defining a tactical issue that could alter the team’s structure.

The main question is whether Sampaoli will continue to rely on a five-man defense or, to face the Mendoza side, decide to return to a back four. In that context, Valentín Fascendini appears as one of the players who could get an opportunity to start.

The center-back arrived at Talleres in the current transfer window and made his first start in the team’s Clausura opener against Newell’s. That match was one of the first tests of Sampaoli’s new spell in charge, but afterward Fascendini lost his place in the starting eleven.

The former Unión defender remained on the bench in the following matches against Vélez, Platense, and Lanús. Now, against Gimnasia de Mendoza, he could get another chance if the coach feels he needs to change the composition of the back line or bring back an option that gives the defense a different profile.

Fascendini is part of a group of signings Talleres made this season to refresh and expand its squad. Alongside him arrived Ezequiel Unsain, Román Riquelme, Federico Fattori, and Agustín Álvarez Martínez, the latter recently brought in to strengthen the attack.

The five-man back line has been one of the options used by the coach to give the team balance. That setup allows him to add an extra defender and free up the full-backs to take a bigger role in attack, although it also changes how spaces are occupied and the way Talleres presses and plays out from the back.

The alternative of a back four would imply a different kind of functioning. In that case, Fascendini could be considered to join the center-back pairing and become one of the new faces in the team that will travel to Mendoza. However, the decision has not yet been made, and training sessions over the next few days will be decisive.

Sampaoli will also have to assess the physical condition of his players and the specific demands of a match that will be played away from home. Gimnasia de Mendoza will be an opponent looking to make the most of its home advantage, so the coach will have to decide whether to prioritize continuity in a structure he has already used or introduce changes in search of a different response.

For Fascendini, the possibility represents a new opportunity to prove himself. The 25-year-old defender arrived expecting to compete for a spot and, after starting against Newell’s, was pushed to the background in the following three appearances. A possible inclusion against Gimnasia would allow him to log important minutes again and show that he can be a useful piece for this new Talleres.

Monday’s match will also be another test for a team that is still adapting to Sampaoli’s ideas. The coach wants to give the Albiazul side a clear identity and, to achieve that, he has been trying different options both in personnel and tactical shape.

That is why the question hanging over the buildup is not only who the eleven starters will be, but also how Talleres will set up in Mendoza. Keeping the five-man defense or returning to four at the back could make a major difference in the approach.

In that scenario, Valentín Fascendini appears as one of the names to watch in the coming training sessions. After starting in the opener against Newell’s and then being among the substitutes against Vélez, Platense, and Lanús, the former Unión player is looking to regain prominence.

Sampaoli will have the final say. And as Talleres prepares for its visit to Víctor Legrotaglie, the defense is one of the areas where the coach still has decisions to make. Fascendini, who arrived to compete for a place, is waiting for his next opportunity.

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