More than a clásico: River visit Racing chasing Copa de la Liga progression | OneFootball

The Millionaire and the Academy face off again, this time in the round of 16 of the Torneo Clausura. The match kicks off at 19:15 in Avellaneda.

Racing hosts River this afternoon at the Cilindro de Avellaneda, starting at 19:15, for the round of 16 of the Torneo Clausura, in a clash full of intrigue.

Just over a month after their encounter in the Copa Argentina, both teams meet again in a very different context, especially for Marcelo Gallardo’s side, which is going through its most critical moment.

River arrives in crisis, but with hopes of a turnaround

The Millionaire is experiencing its worst football run since Gallardo’s arrival. They have won just two of their last 12 matches, suffered tough eliminations — against Palmeiras in the Copa Libertadores, against Independiente Rivadavia in the Copa Argentina, and the blow of the Superclásico against Boca — and are coming off a goalless draw in Liniers with Vélez, a result that left them without a chance to reach third place in the annual table, a spot that granted a berth in the Libertadores qualifying round.

Even so, River keeps its last card alive: winning the Clausura to qualify directly for the Copa. Today it seems distant, but against this very rival they showed one of their best performances on October 2, at the Gigante de Arroyito. The spotlight will once again be on former Racing players Maximiliano Salas, Marcos Acuña, and Juan Fernando Quintero, who return to the Cilindro with the Red Band.

As for the team, Gallardo will have Gonzalo Montiel and Lucas Martínez Quarta available, both now recovered. The doubts center on who will partner Enzo Pérez — Portillo or Castaño — and who will occupy the inside midfield role — Galoppo or Lencina. Facundo Colidio, meanwhile, is practically ruled out due to his hamstring injury.

Racing arrives on a high and recovers a key player

The Academy’s present is very different. Racing comes in with four wins in their last five matches, just one goal conceded since the seventh round, and the peace of mind of having secured their spot in the 2026 Copa Sudamericana. In addition, they received confirmation that they will be able to play with fans, after the lifting of the sanction imposed by Aprevide.

However, recent numbers against River do not favor them: just one win in the last 10 encounters, precisely that in the final round of the 2024 Liga Profesional, with a goal by Maximiliano Salas.

The big news is the return of Santiago Sosa, who will play with a protective mask after his right cheekbone fracture. Costas, however, must reshuffle pieces due to absences: Colombo will return to the defense; Sosa, Nardoni, Conechny, and Almendra will come in for Sánchez, Forneris, Vergara, and Zuculini, respectively.

Probable lineups

Racing (Gustavo Costas): Facundo Cambeses; Facundo Mura, Nazareno Colombo, Agustín García Basso, Gabriel Rojas; Santiago Sosa, Juan Ignacio Nardoni, Agustín Almendra; Santiago Solari, Adrián Martínez, and Tomás Conechny.

River (Marcelo Gallardo): Franco Armani; Gonzalo Montiel, Lucas Martínez Quarta, Lautaro Rivero, Marcos Acuña; Enzo Pérez; Juan Carlos Portillo or Kevin Castaño; Giuliano Galoppo or Santiago Lencina; Juan Fernando Quintero; Sebastián Driussi, and Maximiliano Salas.

A classic with history, tension, and contrasting realities. Racing wants to maintain their momentum. River seeks to escape their worst moment. The Cilindro will bear witness.

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