Leonardo Ponzio changed four names for River’s visit to Belgrano on Sunday at 20.15 in Córdoba, with Francisco Ortega set for his first start in the Ponzio cycle. The move came after the 1-1 draw with Sarmiento in Junín and left River trying to reset quickly on a day that could not be wasted.
The lineup was not a total overhaul, but it did show where Ponzio wanted to intervene. Santiago Beltrán was set to start in goal, while Gonzalo Montiel, Nicolás Otamendi and Lucas Martínez Quarta kept their places in defense. Marcos Acuña did not go to the bench because of a physical problem, which opened the door for Ortega on the left side.
River’s changes also reached midfield and attack. Aníbal Moreno replaced Fausto Vera, Tobías Andrada stayed wide alongside Tomás Galván, and Thiago Almada was set to operate as the enganche. Up front, Ángel Correa was chosen to partner Lucas Beltrán instead of Sebastián Driussi, giving River a different shape for a match that came with little room to drift.
The timing mattered because the draw in Junín had complicated River’s position in the Torneo Clausura and the annual table, and Belgrano arrived as one of the Group B contenders. That made the trip to the Mario Alberto Kempes stadium more than a routine away match: it was a chance to stop the slide before the pressure sharpened further.
There was also a quieter thread inside the selection. Acuña had been expected to be unavailable entirely, while Lucas Martínez Quarta had entered the conversation because of his latest performances, yet both remained part of the larger defensive picture. Ponzio did not spend Sunday trying to solve every issue at once. He chose four changes, trusted the spine of the side, and sent Ortega into his first start knowing the result would matter as much as the lineup.
