Leandro Brey before his first Superclásico: will he start for Boca v River? | OneFootball

Agustín Marchesín’s unfortunate injury left a bitter taste in Boca’s thrashing of Barcelona in the Copa Libertadores, but it opened a huge door for one of the club’s biggest prospects: Leandro Brey has the chance to start in the Superclásico.

After it was confirmed that the starting goalkeeper tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and will be sidelined for more than seven months, the young keeper will be the one protecting Boca’s goal this Sunday at the Monumental stadium.

The injury to Marchesín, 38, happened at La Bombonera during Boca’s convincing 3-0 win over Barcelona of Ecuador. Although CONMEBOL regulations allow the club from La Ribera to permanently add a replacement to the squad list in cases of injuries this serious, the board led by Juan Román Riquelme made a firm decision: they will not look for another goalkeeper now.

Leandro Brey had returned to play for the reserve team due to his lack of minutes. Photo: Gerónimo Marino/La Número 12.

The team will approach the rest of the semester betting on Leandro Brey, backed by Javier García’s experience and promoting a young goalkeeper from the reserve team. In this way, the young shot-stopper will have the best possible opportunity to play in his first Superclásico at top-flight level.

The 23-year-old kid from Lomas de Zamora already has quite a bit of first-team experience: he has made 33 appearances in Boca’s top division side (26 of them as a starter). In addition, his numbers bring peace of mind to the coaching staff and the fans, as he has recorded an impressive 16 clean sheets in official matches.

Leandro Brey’s numbers at Boca

Although this Sunday will mark his first-ever top-flight appearance against River Plate, Brey already knows what it is like to face Boca’s eternal rival. So far he has faced River only in the Reserve Tournament, and the results are more than positive: he played three matches, winning one and drawing two, while conceding just one goal.

Brey has 16 clean sheets in 33 matches.

There is also a curious and very encouraging statistical detail. The young goalkeeper has already played in other clásicos against the country’s “big” clubs in the top flight and, for now, remains unbeaten. He has two wins against San Lorenzo (both as a starter), one win against Racing (when he came off the bench after Javi García’s injury), and one draw against Independiente (also as a starter).

With the board’s full confidence shown by not seeking a replacement and with the backing of his solid statistics, Leandro Brey will face the biggest challenge of his young career this Sunday. The hottest goal in the country is in his hands.

Keep reading:

Looking for another goalkeeper? Boca’s decision after Marchesín’s injury was confirmed

Boca’s player ratings in the win over Barcelona at La Bombonera

Bad news for Boca: Agustín Marchesín’s very serious injury was confirmed

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