Unbeaten run: Castaño’s incredible record since joining River | OneFootball

His arrival took place in the midst of competition, with a River Plate team coming off a major disappointment in the 2024 Copa Libertadores and, after just a few matches, making it clear that Enzo Pérez needed a partner. Kevin Castaño landed in Núñez in March of this year and since then has played 27 matches, with a particular distinction: he has never lost.

Although the faint shine of those early performances has now faded somewhat and today he is not even an undisputed starter, the Colombian is still one of Marcelo Gallardo’s favorite choices for the midfield. His versatility, his ability to link up play, and his defensive presence had made him a vital piece; all qualities that lately have not been as evident.

Even so, since his arrival and that first match on the bench against Deportivo Riestra, the former Krasnodar player has participated in 27 of the 28 games the team has played. He was notably absent in the only defeat the Millonario suffered with him on the squad, the 0-2 loss to Inter on the third matchday of the Club World Cup, which he missed due to being sent off against Monterrey. The other defeat for the Núñez club this year came before his arrival, against Estudiantes, a 2-0 loss at the Monumental.

The fact is that Castaño is unbeaten in the 27 matches he has played wearing the River shirt: he has won 13 and drawn 14. Of course, among those 14 draws is the 0-0 against Monterrey, which ultimately led to elimination; and the 1-1 against Platense in the quarterfinals of the Torneo Apertura, which ended in defeat in the penalty shootout, where the Colombian missed his kick.

The start of Castaño’s career at River has thus become the best in history; not in terms of points earned, but in the number of matches without defeat. With 27 unbeaten games, he surpassed Jorge Solari, who between 1964 and 1966 went 26 games without losing. Of course, his case is different because he was only an occasional starter and won 18 of those 26, a significantly higher figure than the Colombian’s.

So far, the Colombian national team player has only recorded two assists from set pieces and a few good performances. His inconsistency and lack of impact on the game in recent matches have seriously called his starting place into question. Gallardo and River hope he can bounce back and live up to the nearly 15 million dollars paid for his transfer.

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