What side will Coudet field at River for tomorrow's cup clash? | OneFootball

All eyes are on the Apertura final. The mind is 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, in 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 stress that the most important match is always the next one, but in this case there is an exception, and it makes sense. The most crucial one is the one after this, not the one they have to play against the Brazilian side. And that is not to downplay it, but rather a matter of priorities. And in Núñez, the dream is to be crowned in the Apertura. That is why the international competition can wait.

Besides, River built up a good cushion of points in the previous four matches. They won three games (both against Carabobo, and against Bragantino itself in Brazil) and drew in their debut, 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 stage—the playoffs if they finish second—but they are in a strong position to finish first and advance straight to the round of 16.

Even if they lose to Bragantino, River would still depend on themselves in 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, given that they are four points ahead of their closest challengers, the Brazilian team with 6 points and Carabobo with the same tally. And those two will face each other on the final matchday.

In any case, if River beat the Brazilian team, they will lock up first place, and if they draw, they will depend on Carabobo’s result against Blooming, since if the Venezuelan side wins, it will move to 9 points and would then sit two behind the team from Núñez 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 goalkeeper has recovered from the injuries that had bothered him since the beginning of the year (a calf tear and inflammation of the Achilles tendon, both in his right leg) and will be back between the posts, considering that Santiago Beltrán is suspended after being sent off in Venezuela against Carabobo. Armani, a multiple-time champion with River, has played only 45 minutes this half of the season. That came in the 1-0 defeat to Vélez in Liniers.

After that, River is struggling with injuries. Because of Gonzalo Montiel’s and Matías Viña’s muscle tears, Aníbal Moreno’s and Sebastián Driussi’s knee sprains, and the looming final against Belgrano, Coudet will not only have to field backups against Bragantino, but also turn to youth players, some of them yet to make their debut, to put together the lineup and the bench. Even so, some experienced players such as Germán Pezzella, Maxi Meza, Juanfer Quintero, and Maxi Salas could start in an effort to secure qualification for the Copa Sudamericana round of 16.

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