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

Talleres has already begun preparing 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 Wolf, decide to return to a back four. In that context, Valentín Fascendini appears to be one of the players who could get a chance to start.

The center-back joined Talleres in the current transfer window and made his first appearance as a starter in the team’s Clausura opener against Newell’s. That match marked one of the first tests of Sampaoli’s new spell, but afterward Fascendini lost his place in the starting eleven.

The former Unión defender remained among the substitutes 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 modify the makeup of the back line or bring back an option that gives the defense a different characteristic.

Fascendini is part of a group of signings Talleres made this season to refresh and deepen its squad. Along with him came Ezequiel Unsain, Román Riquelme, Federico Fattori, and Agustín Álvarez Martínez, the latter recently signed 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 a defender and free up the full-backs so they can be more involved in attack, although it also changes how space is occupied and the way Talleres presses and builds 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 traveling to Mendoza. However, the decision has not yet been made, and the 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 its home advantage count, 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 chance to show himself. The 25-year-old defender arrived expecting to compete for a place and, after starting against Newell’s, was pushed to the sidelines in the next three appearances. A possible inclusion against Gimnasia would allow him to get important minutes again and prove that he can be a useful piece for the 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 alternatives both in personnel and in tactical shape.

That is why the main question ahead of the match is not only who the eleven starters will be, but also how Talleres will line up in Mendoza. Sticking with the five-man defense or returning to four defenders could make a significant difference in the game plan.

In that scenario, Valentín Fascendini emerges as one of the names to watch in the upcoming 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 while Talleres prepares for its visit to the 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.