The squad led by Mauricio Pellegrino will use the lull to host River Plate at the Padre Martearena in Salta, leveraging the international window to stay sharp for the resumption of the season.
During the 2023 National Championship break, Universidad de Chile will pursue an important international friendly that could influence their momentum. Pellegrino’s group is set to face River this Saturday at the Padre Martearena in Salta, aiming to maintain pace before the restart, with a subsequent test against Audax Italiano, who are eager to rebound after a trio of draws.
Absent from the lineup will be Darío Osorio, who received a call-up from Eduardo Berizzo for the Chile national team, overlaying the squad’s plans for this match. José Castro will also be unavailable after suffering an ACL tear in his left knee along with an external meniscal injury during the Superclásico 193 against Colo Colo.
Emmanuel Ojeda joins the traveling party after missing the previous match against Deportes Copiapó due to a knee sprain, along with Cristóbal Campos. The goalkeeper exited at halftime against León de Atacama with back pain and was replaced by Cristopher Toselli, marking Toselli’s first appearance in goal for the Blue team.
How does Universidad de Chile approach the River game?
The student squad closed a recent fixture with a goalless draw versus a lower-ranked Elías Figueroa squad, a result that tempered a prior purple patch and extended River Plate’s supremacy at the national stadium. The draw came after a strong showing against Uniat La Calera at Santa Laura, keeping Chile’s team in fourth place in the domestic table with 15 points, three behind leaders Huachipato and Universidad Católica.
The history between the two clubs
Records show 16 matches between Universidad de Chile and River Plate, with River holding a decisive edge; nine wins for the Argentine club across three friendlies and six official matches. Friendly wins for River were recorded in 1964 (3-1, Nacional), 1965 (2-0, Nacional), and 1996 (0-2, Mendoza). The most recent meeting dates back to 2018, when the current leaders of the Chilean league triumphed 3-0 in a regional competition, paced by Nicolas de La Cruz and Raphael Santos Borre.
A noteworthy note from Salta’s authorities is the restriction placed on student supporters for the upcoming clash between the Chilean club and River. A formal letter from Federico Abud, Secretary of State of the Sports Secretariat of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, to Proenter Argentina, the event organizer, outlined the decision.
In the River lineup, the following players are expected to feature: Christopher Toselli; Yonathan Andia, Matias Zaldivia, Luis Casanova, Marcelo Morales; Nery Dominguez, Federico Mateos, Israel Poblete, Renato Huerta; Nicolas Guerra and Leandro Fernandez. The squad is managed by Mauricio Pellegrino.
River Plate XI – to be confirmed.
Source: Goal