Rosario Central start Libertadores bid v Independiente del Valle | OneFootball

With Ángel Di María leading the way, the Canalla make their Group H debut against the always-competitive Ecuadorian side at the Gigante de Arroyito.

Rosario Central and Independiente del Valle will face off this Thursday starting at 7 p.m. at the Gigante de Arroyito, in the opening matchday of Group H of the 2026 Copa Libertadores. The Canalla return to the tournament after missing out in 2025 and are hoping to get off to a strong start at home.

The team coached by Jorge Almirón has Ángel Di María as its main figurehead. He has recovered from a physical issue and trained normally, so everything points to him being in the starting lineup. In addition, the coach is expected to go with his usual starters, who were rested in the 2-1 win over Atlético Tucumán in the Torneo Apertura, where Central sit fourth in Zone B and in a qualification spot.

On the other side, Independiente del Valle arrive in excellent form. The Ecuadorian club, set to play in its eighth straight Libertadores, is coming off a 2-0 win over Orense and leads its domestic league with 16 points. Known as the “Giant Killers,” the team managed by Joaquín Papa features several Argentine players in its squad, such as Guido Villar, Joaquín Pombo, Mateo Carabajal, and Matías Perelló.

On the next matchday, both teams will be back in action on Wednesday the 15th. Central will visit Libertad in Asunción, while Independiente del Valle will make its home debut against Universidad Central in Quito. The start of the group promises to be demanding, and picking up points right away will be key for both sides.

Possible lineups

Rosario Central: Jorge Broun; Agustín Sandez, Alexis Soto, Luca Raffin, Enzo Giménez; Vicente Pizarro, Franco Ibarra; Jaminton Camaz, Guillermo Fernández, Gaspar Duarte or Ángel Di María; Alejo Véliz. Coach: Jorge Almirón.__IP__

Independiente del Valle: Aldair Quintana; Gustavo Cortez, Juan Viacava, Mateo Carabajal, Jhon Espinoza; Jhegson Méndez; Aron Rodríguez, Justin Lerma, Matías Perello; Juan Angulo and Djorkaeff Reasco. Coach: Joaquín Papa.

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