Paredes eyes the Superclásico: ‘Tough ground, we'll go all out’ | OneFootball

The Xeneize captain spoke about the condition of the Monumental pitch and how it could influence the game they will try to play.

Leandro Paredes highlighted the uptick in form and the positive momentum with which Boca heads into the Superclásico against River, which will take place next Sunday, April 19, at the Monumental Stadium, starting at 5:00 p.m., on matchday 15 of the 2026 Apertura Tournament.

“We’re very eager, very excited. Playing in a Superclásico is something very special. We have to play at their stadium, so we hope to arrive in the best possible way. It’s a combination of things that has us coming in very well, with a lot of confidence. Hopefully on Sunday we can play a great match like the ones we’ve been playing,” the captain said in remarks to the press waiting for him at training.

“We’re coming off 12 matches unbeaten, with clear footballing growth, so we’re very happy. With the younger guys, you have to try to take some responsibility off them. They’re about to play in a Superclásico, which is something unique, and hopefully they can enjoy it”, he added.

Paredes also referred to the condition of the Monumental pitch, acknowledging that it is not ideal, and how that could affect the game Boca will try to play: “It’s something we obviously talk about because, with the way we’re playing, we surely need the pitch to be in good condition to do it in the best way. But well, it’s all part of this, coming across this kind of field, and we’ll try to do well anyway”, he said.

The refereeing does not worry him

At Boca, the appointment of Darío Herrera as referee for the Superclásico caused displeasure, because of memories of the second leg of the 2015 Copa Libertadores round of 16 and the pepper spray incident that forced the match to be suspended at halftime, after which River advanced through a Conmebol ruling; and also because of the penalty he awarded to the Millonario in the final minute for a 1-0 win in May 2023.

However, Leandro Paredes said he is not worried about what the referee might do and is fully focused on the tools the Xeneize can bring to get a good result at the Monumental.

“We’re not worried because we’re thinking about playing; I don’t believe anyone has bad intentions. We are aware of what happened in that match, but beyond that we trust ourselves, understanding that people can make mistakes, just as it can happen to us in every match. We’re not worried about the referee

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