The Millionaire faced a tough, surprising home defeat to Arsenal and now seeks a rebound against one of the league leaders.
River Plate endured a heavy loss in their most recent league outing of the 2023 season at home, trailing after taking the lead early in the first half. The sting of that setback is fading as the squad focuses on a demanding clash with a top contender who trails only a few points at the summit.
The squad travels to Lanús, a team that, aside from a recent stumble against Racing that interrupted their perfect run, remains among the top four in the standings. The match is scheduled for Saturday at 7:15 pm, taking place at La Fortaleza.
RIVER MVPs AND RECOVERY
After the defeat to Arsenal, the group returned to the River Camp on Monday afternoon for the usual post-match recovery, though coaching staff had already been addressing issues hours earlier. Head coach Martín Demichelis instructed the technical team to analyze mistakes from the latest performances and to map out solutions for the next challenge.
Emmanuel Mamman, who battled muscle overload before the Belgrano clash, joined the group in training on Wednesday. Also back in action after a long spell is Matías Suárez, who is working through synovitis in the right knee. On Thursday, both took a lighter load as a precaution, though there is a real possibility they will be included in the squad list to travel to the fort.
Meanwhile Frank Alarcón has shaken off the sprained ankle suffered in the Champions Trophy semifinal against Banfield and will be ready to contribute.
RIVER’S TACTICAL SETUP
One major concern for Micho is the team’s vulnerability to counter-attacks, a vulnerability highlighted in previous games against Ass and Banfield. Paulo Díaz is poised to return to the lineup and could start for the first time this season, while Mammana remains unavailable, leaving the central defensive berth to be contested by Jonathan Maidana or Enzo Díaz.
Midfield will also see changes, with Nicolás De la Cruz coming in for José Paradela as the main novelty after the Uruguayan added some minutes against Ass in the previous weekend. Santiago Simón could return to action, challenging Agustín Palavecino for a starting spot.
The biggest evolution will unfold in attack. The coach is weighing a bench for Pablo Solari, who hasn’t recaptured his peak form since arriving at the club, to give Franco Alfonso a real chance to impact the game. There are also discussions about moving away from the double-nine setup that has underperformed, potentially benching Salomón Rondón.
The suspected eleven?: Franco Armani; Robert Rojas, Paulo Díaz, Maidana or Enzo Díaz, Milton Casco; Agustín Palavecino or Santiago Simón, Enzo Pérez, Ignacio Fernández, Nicolás De la Cruz; Franco Alfonso, Lucas Beltrán or Miguel Borja.
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