Boca leaders preview Superclásico v River: refs and Monumental | OneFootball

After the 3-0 thrashing of Barcelona de Guayaquil at La Bombonera that left them well positioned in the Copa Libertadores, Boca turned its full attention to the Superclásico against River, which will be played on Sunday at 5:00 p.m. in the Apertura Tournament. This Thursday, after morning training, some of Xeneize’s key players looked ahead to the clash with Millonario and spoke about the refereeing crew and the Monumental pitch.

The appointed referee was Darío Herrera, who was at the center of a controversial ending in 2023, when Boca felt hard done by over a penalty awarded in stoppage time that led to Miguel Borja’s 1-0 winner. Leandro Paredes, captain of Claudio Úbeda’s team, said that «we think about playing, I don’t believe anyone has bad intentions. We are aware of what happened in that match, but beyond that we trust ourselves, and that people can make mistakes just like we do, but we’re not worried about it at all».

In addition, the Argentina international midfielder referred to the poor condition of the pitch in Núñez. «For the way we are playing, we need the field to be in good condition, but that’s part of this, coming across these kinds of pitches, and we’ll try to do it in the best way possible», he said.

Even so, he said he was «very eager and excited» because «playing a Superclásico is something very special». As for the team’s level, with a 12-match unbeaten run, he said they are «very confident» because of the «positive results, playing well, and hopefully on Sunday we can play a great match».

Figal and Merentiel recalled the controversial Superclásico

From that controversial match in 2023, two of the players still in Boca’s squad are Nicolás Figal and Miguel Merentiel, who also spoke to the press. «I was in that match, we don’t have good memories of it, but we have to put that aside. They (the referees) have a big responsibility, just like we do», said the center back. «We trust the refereeing crew they choose, so there’s no need to worry. Some strange things happened, but I don’t want to get into that because it creates a bad atmosphere», he added.

«We were looking at the pitch; it’s going to be bad for both teams. Once you step on the field, nothing else matters, and we’re waiting for it, hopefully it works in our favor», he said. «There’s a really good harmony in the group and around the team. The younger guys are doing well, just like the older ones. I’m one of the older players now, and you have to push forward. It’s a nice responsibility, I take it that way, and we’re very happy», he concluded.

«At that moment we felt hard done by, but we can’t focus on that, only on the game, on the match», the Beast later said. «We’ve been looking a bit at the pitch. Maybe it’s not the best, but derbies are different matches», he added.

With four goals in six matches against River, the Uruguayan wants to score again but also hopes the same for Adam Bareiro, his strike partner and a former Millonario player. «Sometimes it’s your turn to score in these kinds of important matches, but I try to stay calm and hope for the best on Sunday. You always think about scoring; hopefully Adam gets his chance, because he works hard for the team and has been very important for us», he concluded.

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