River and Racing at loggerheads again: this time in the Copa Argentina | OneFootball

The return of the Clausura Tournament after the last double date of the South American Qualifiers brings with it a new chapter in the relationship between River and Racing. While awaiting the definition of the quarterfinals of the Copa Libertadores, the two clubs must resolve their clash for the Copa Argentina, but the calendar has opened an unexpected front of conflict.

The first point of discussion is the date. From Avellaneda, Gustavo Costas made clear the academic stance of wanting to play on October 8. The “Millonario,” on the other hand, wants to move it forward to October 1st or 2nd, a week earlier.

The difference is significant: River will face Deportivo Riestra after the Libertadores, while Racing will face nothing less than the classic against Independiente. For Racing's coaching staff, accumulating high-stakes matches with so little rest would be an unnecessary risk.

The Núñez side presents another difficulty. Marcelo Gallardo knows that, in mid-October, the FIFA date could leave him without several key players: Franco Armani, Marcos Acuña, and Gonzalo Montiel with the Argentine National Team; Paulo Díaz with Chile; Juanfer Quintero and Kevin Castaño with Colombia; and Matías Galarza Fonda with Paraguay. That's why he insists on moving the match forward to avoid being without key players.

The other question is the venue. Although the Mario Alberto Kempes in Córdoba was mentioned as the first alternative, the Gigante de Arroyito in Rosario is emerging as a strong candidate for this new classic between River and Racing.

Maxi Salas spoke about the classic with Racing after his controversial exit from the club: "It's just another match"

River Plate and Racing Club will face each other in the quarterfinals of the Copa Argentina and, besides being a classic, it will have the added element of Maximiliano Salas facing his former teammates after his turbulent departure from the Avellaneda club.

Although the anticipation is high for this encounter, the “Millonario” forward himself tried to downplay the clash and admitted that his relationship with the rival players is very good.

"With Racing, it will be just another match, I'm happy to see my former teammates again. I haven't lost contact with any of them, I still talk to almost all of them," he said.

Later, he avoided getting into controversies, focused solely on the football aspect, and highlighted that “it will be a nice match” because he believes that “they and we have a good team.”

On the other hand, Salas pointed out Marcos Rojo and dismissed the idea that Gustavo Costas would instruct him to go hard against him: “There's a lot of talk that Marcos Rojo will hurt me, but I'm calm, I know he's a respectful player”.

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