Only Martínez Quarta repeats: River's line-up for their last final | OneFootball

This Sunday, starting at 3:30 p.m., River will play the Torneo Apertura final against Belgrano at the Mario Alberto Kempes Stadium in Córdoba. El Millonario will play a decisive match again after one year and two months, as in March of last year they played the Supercopa Internacional against Talleres at La Nueva Olla in Asunción. Compared to the starting eleven Marcelo Gallardo fielded in that match, only one name would be repeated: Lucas Martínez Quarta.

On March 5, 2025, River played the Supercopa Internacional final corresponding to the 2023 season, in which the team then managed by Martín Demichelis had been the Liga Profesional champion and Talleres had finished second in the annual table.

Marcelo Gallardo, who had replaced Micho in August 2024, was facing the first and only final of his second spell with the following lineup: Franco Armani in goal; a back four made up of Gonzalo Montiel, Lucas Martínez Quarta, Germán Pezzella and Milton Casco; a midfield featuring Enzo Pérez, Santiago Simón and Maximiliano Meza; and Franco Mastantuono linking up behind the front two of Sebastián Driussi and Miguel Ángel Borja.

After a dull 0-0 over 120 minutes, the title was decided from the penalty spot. For El Millonario, Matías Rojas and Gonzalo Montiel missed, but for La T, Emanuel Reynoso, Cristian Tarragona and Ulises Ortegoza did the same, giving Facundo Colidio the chance to seal the win for the team from Núñez. However, the former Tigre man missed, and after Manuel Lanzini’s subsequent miss and Gastón Benavídez’s conversion, the cup stayed in Córdoba.

From that lineup River fielded a year and two months ago, only Lucas Martínez Quarta would remain. Gonzalo Montiel and Sebastián Driussi, two other usual starters, are injured and will miss the clash against Belgrano. El Gordo will not be on the bench, while Cachete still has a chance if he responds well in Saturday’s training session.

Franco Armani, Germán Pezzella and Maximiliano Meza are still part of the squad, but they are not starters for Coudet, who would prioritize Santiago Beltrán, Lautaro Rivero and Juan Cruz Meza in those positions.

Enzo Pérez (Argentinos Juniors), Santiago Simón (Toluca), Franco Mastantuono (Real Madrid), Milton Casco (Atlético Nacional) and Miguel Ángel Borja (Al-Wasl) are no longer part of El Millonario’s squad. Of the five substitutions Gallardo made on that humid and hot night in Paraguay, only two remain at the club (Paulo Díaz and Facundo Colidio), while Manuel Lanzini, Gonzalo Martínez and Matías Kranevitter also left during 2025.

River’s possible starting eleven for the Torneo Apertura final against Belgrano

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