River prepared to host RB Bragantino on the fifth date of Group D of the Copa Sudamericana with Eduardo Coudet forced into an alternate lineup by a long injury list. Franco Armani returned to goal after missing action since preseason, and River was set to kick off at 21.30 at El Monumental.
Santiago Beltrán was rested after the red card he received against Carabobo, while Matías Viña was injured in practice the day before the match. Gonzalo Montiel was out with a muscle tear, and Fabricio Bustos was also rested so he could arrive in optimal condition for Córdoba. In midfield, Juan Fernando Quintero, Maximiliano Meza, Giuliano Galoppo and Kevin Castaño were all part of Coudet’s plan, with Ian Subiabre and Maximiliano Salas projected up front.
The confirmed formation put Armani behind Ulises Giménez, Germán Pezzella, Paulo Díaz and Facundo González, with Galoppo, Castaño and Meza across the middle, Quintero in the attacking role, and Subiabre plus Salas as the forwards. The squad list was only 20 players deep, a reflection of a team that has played 12 matches in just one month and a half and is trying to keep its legs under it at the business end of the schedule.
That load also explains why the bench was lighter than usual. Jonathan Spiff and Valentín Lucero were included in a Primera División squad list for the first time, while Lautaro Pereyra and Kendry Páez returned after missing the previous two matches. Coudet, meanwhile, had already said he knew River would finish the round as leader regardless of the result, a position that made the Bragantino game more about control than urgency.
Even so, there was no real sense that River could afford to treat it as a throwaway. The team had Sunday’s final against Belgrano in mind, and the rotation was designed to survive the week without sacrificing the chance to stay sharp. River Plate Vs Central: Colidio lifts River into Torneo Apertura final had already shown how quickly the mood around this squad can turn when one result matters more than the last, and this one was no different. Gustavo Tejera was scheduled to referee the match, with Christian Ferreyra on VAR, and DSports was set to carry the broadcast.
For River, the night at El Monumental was less about panic than management: an injury-hit squad, a familiar captain back in goal, and a coach making sure the team reached Córdoba with enough left to finish the stretch that matters most.
