The Millionaire aims to clinch the title this weekend. After Talleres defeated Huracán, River Plate only needs a single point against Estudiantes to seal the championship and celebrate on home soil at the Monumental.
River knows that the 2023 Professional League could slip away only through an unforeseen disaster. With Talleres keeping pace by beating Huracán on Friday, the gap remains six points, so a draw at home could crown the team in Núñez. The scenario sets up a dramatic finish for River, who can finish the campaign with the title if results go their way this weekend.
For the matchday 25, Saturday starts at 7 p.m. River Plate hosts Estudiantes, a side that battled to stay in the title race but found the road to be tougher than expected this season. The clash with Demichelis’s squad lands in the midst of the Copa Sudamericana round of 16, where River will face Barcelona SC of Guayaquil.
THE RIVER CAMP HAS ITS EYES ON THE PRIZE
The good news for Martín Demichelis comes after a gripping match against San Lorenzo. The coach cannot complain about injuries or suspensions derailing plans. Nicolás De La Cruz finished the game with a slight discomfort but resumed full training on Tuesday and is being managed as part of the squad’s roster for the weekend. (Goal)
RIVER’S STARTING LINEUP
Beyond the possibility of clinching the championship with a draw, or perhaps even clinching earlier if Talleres stalls, the coach opted to pursue a strong approach given the close Cup tie. On Wednesday the 19th, River will face a decisive Argentina Cup Final match. As a result, there were no expected changes to the typical formation, keeping a 4-2-3-1 shape that has been in use in recent dates, with Pablo Solari again among the bench options rather than starting. The lineup for the weekend could look like this: Franco Armani; Milton Casco, Leandro González Pírez, Paulo Díaz, Enzo Díaz; Enzo Pérez, Rodrigo Aliendro, Nicolás De La Cruz, Nacho Fernández, Esequiel Barco; Lucas Beltrán.
ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS
Possible substitutes include Centurión, Herrera, Rojas, Kranevitter, Simón, Paradela, Palavecino, Echeverri, Alfonso, Solari, Borja, and Rondón. (Goal)