What team will Coudet field against River for tomorrow's cup clash? | OneFootball

Everyone’s head is on the Apertura final. Their minds are already in Córdoba. The focus is on the clash with Belgrano on Sunday at the Kempes. But the schedule says that before the local tournament decider, River will have to play another match, against Bragantino, whom they will host this Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. at the Monumental for the fifth round of the Copa Sudamericana group stage, with Franco Armani returning in goal and a backup lineup.

Eduardo Coudet and the players always say that the most important match is the next one, but in this case there is an exception, and it makes sense. The most crucial one is the one after that, not the one they have to play against the Brazilian side. It’s not to downplay it, but rather a matter of priorities. And in Núñez, the goal is to be crowned in the Apertura. That’s why the international competition can wait.

What’s more, River built up a solid cushion of points in the previous four matches. They won three games (both against Carabobo, and also against Bragantino itself in Brazil) and drew in their opener against Blooming in Bolivia. That gave them some breathing room.

With 10 points, River leads Group H and has already secured a place in the next round—the playoffs if they finish second—but they have enough momentum to finish first and advance directly to the round of 16.

Even if they lose to Bragantino, River would still depend on themselves on the final matchday, when they will face bottom side Blooming in Núñez on Wednesday the 27th of this month. In other words, if they win that match, they will finish first regardless of the other results, since they are four points ahead of their closest challengers: the Brazilian team, with 6 points, and Carabobo, with the same total. And on the final matchday, those two will face each other.

In any case, if River beats the Brazilian side, they will seal first place, and if they draw, it will depend on the result of Carabobo against Blooming, because if the Venezuelan team wins, it will move up to 9 points and would then sit two behind the Núñez side with one match left.

The biggest development on Wednesday night at the Monumental will be Franco Armani’s return in goal. The World Cup-winning keeper has recovered from the injuries that had been troubling him since the start of the year (a calf tear and inflammation of the Achilles tendon, both in his right leg) and will be back between the posts, given that Santiago Beltrán is suspended after being sent off in Venezuela against Carabobo. Armani, a multiple-title winner with River, has played only 45 minutes this half of the year. That came in the 1-0 loss to Vélez in Liniers.

After that, River is dealing with injuries. Because of the muscle tears suffered by Gonzalo Montiel and Matías Viña, the knee sprains of Aníbal Moreno and Sebastián Driussi, and the looming final against Belgrano, Coudet will not only have to field backups against Bragantino, but also think about young players, some of them yet to make their debut, to round out the starting eleven and the bench. Even so, some experienced players such as Germán Pezzella, Maxi Meza, Juanfer Quintero, and Maxi Salas could start in an attempt to secure a place in the Copa Sudamericana round of 16.

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