Once again the Millionaire will use the FIFA date to schedule friendly games, this time facing Colo Colo, a new test of tactical options and player forms as the season winds down. In line with past international windows, River Plate will pause the Professional League Cup to focus on preparation and experimentation during this late 2023 period. This time the club will not settle for one match but two, continuing a series of high-profile friendlies after facing University of Chile in March and Catholic University in September. The next opponent on the calendar is Colo Colo, another storied Chilean side, making this a meticulous test of resources and strategy.
RIVER AGENDA IN 2023
The upcoming clash against the Cacique is scheduled for Wednesday, November 15, at 8 p.m., taking place at the Concepción Municipal Stadium. This fixture represents a valuable opportunity for the squad to assess form, depth, and cohesion ahead of more demanding fixtures later in the year.
The River lineup
Head coach Martín Demichelis understands that when national team duties arise, there are players who will be unavailable due to international commitments. In this window, the club will not have Franco Armani, Paulo Díaz, Nicolás De La Cruz, and Salomón Rondón available, as they are with Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, and Venezuela respectively. There is also an injury-related absence for Too Bad Martinez, who traveled with the squad on Tuesday but will miss the match.
Among the changes, several veterans who have seen limited minutes recently are set to return to the lineup, including Sebastián Boselli, David Martínez, and Emanuel Mammana. The plan also includes a set of fresh faces from the academy, with Demichelis naming seven reserve players for action: Santiago Beltrán, Daniel Zabala, Gonzalo Trindade, Joaquín Flores, Talo Colletta, Tobías Leiva, and Alexis González.
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THE FORMATION OF RIVER
The coach aims to rotate the starting XI during the Chilean clash as a preview for a forthcoming match against Independiente Rivadavia in Mendoza on Friday. Hence, the eleven in Chile will serve as the base for the lineup used against Rosario Central, with the essential inclusion of Ezequiel Centurión, Andrés Herrera, David Martínez, Rodrigo Aliendro, and Miguel Borja, replacing Armani, Simón, Díaz, De La Cruz, and Rondón where necessary.
The lineup, in a likely 4-3-3 or slightly flexible formation, could feature Ezequiel Centurión; Andrés Herrera, Leandro González Pirez, David Martínez, Milton Casco; Enzo Pérez, Rodrigo Aliendro, Manuel Lanzini, Nacho Fernández, Esequiel Barco; Miguel Borja, providing a test of balance between defense and attack as the squad builds toward the closing stages of the year.