With a spark of boldness after their wins over Racing and Colo Colo, Boca Juniors heads into the visit to the Monumental with few doubts remaining.
Boca’s path to this classic had been unpredictable. What once seemed unlikely became reality through a string of favorable results: the club earned a dramatic build‑up to the Superclásico against River Plate, arriving with renewed courage. Following a strong victory against Racing last weekend, Boca then defeated Colo Colo in Chile, ensuring a place in the Copa Libertadores round of 16. Now the team travels to Núñez carrying a level of confidence not seen at the club for most of 2023.
The complete history of the Superclásico
The marquee clash of Argentine football, part of the 15th round of the Professional League, is scheduled for this Sunday, May 7, starting at 5 p.m. local time at the Monumental stadium.
THE BOCA VS. RIVER ROSTER
Beyond the team’s strong form, coach Jorge Almirón continues to juggle injuries and only managed to recover one player before the weekend: while the group was in Santiago, Frank Fabra and Dario Benedetto were recalled to Buenos Aires, with Benedetto facing a cautious return while Fabra appears closer to participation. The Pipa will have to wait at least another week for clearance to return to match action.
From the starting lineup, Luca Langoni was sidelined by a mid‑April tear and is unlikely to feature, joined by Bruno Valdez, Juan Ramirez, and Exequiel Zeballos in recovery. Additionally, Martin Payero misses the match due to suspension from a prior red card against Racing.
THE MOUTH VS. RIVER FORMATION
Almirón has relied on a repeat lineup in the victories over Racing and Colo Colo, and his team has shown consistent momentum. Yet Payero’s absence nudges him to adjust at least one tactical detail. The coach has three contingency options: Cristian Medina, Ezequiel Fernández, or Óscar Romero. In their Chile encounter, Medina filled in for the departed ex‑Banfield player, suggesting one of these options could be favored for the weekend.
With just over a day to go before the game, the coach had not unveiled an official eleven in training. On Friday morning, the squad conducted regenerative sessions with the usual substitutes rotating through drills. Returnees Rojo and Fabra were part of the session, shaping the likely lineup as follows: Javier García; Natan Acosta, Lautaro Di Lollo, Marcos Rojo, Frank Fabra; Diego González, Esteban Rolón, Oscar Romero; Norberto Briasco, Miguel Merentiel, Nicolas Orsini.
River’s probable XI included Sergio Romero in goal; Marcelo Weigandt, Facundo Roncaglia, Nicolás Figal, Valentín Barco in the defense; Cristian Medina or Ezequiel Fernández or Óscar Romero, Alan Varela, Pol Fernández in the midfield; Luis Advíncula, Luis Vasquez, Sebastián Villa in attacking positions.
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