After a disappointing end to their Copa Libertadores campaign, the focus will shift to the Argentine Primera Division for River Plate, who host Godoy Cruz at El Monumental on Sunday.
La Bamba failed to score in both legs of their round of 16 clash, losing out to Velez Sarsfield 1-0 on aggregate, while Tomba head into this encounter unbeaten in three consecutive games in the second phase of this competition.
Match preview
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Seemingly out of nowhere, Marcelo Gallardo saw his side cool off at the most inopportune moment, as they struggled to solve the stubborn defence from Liniers this week, firing just a single shot on target in a 0-0 draw, losing the tie 1-0 on aggregate.
That defeat is a massive letdown for a team who are losing their leading goalscorer, Julian Alvarez, to Manchester City, and according to reports, they are no longer in the running to sign Uruguay striker Luis Suarez because of their exit from the Libertadores.
With the door to their first international title since 2019 now closed, River will need to put their energy on what lies ahead.
For the moment, the task for them will be to retain their domestic title, currently sitting third in the aggregate table, three points behind the leaders, Racing.
Los Millonarios rarely have a problem maintaining the ball for long stretches as they are among the top possession-based squads in all of South America, but lately they have not been able to provide that decisive pass to unlock opposing defences, without a goal in two of their previous three matches in all competitions.
Their one-touch combination play has generated mixed results throughout the domestic campaign, as it makes River a tough team to stop in full flow, although they move the ball so quickly that their pass accuracy can sometimes lack precision, operating below 80% in two of their last three league fixtures.
Despite failing to score in their previous home contest on Wednesday, this team rarely allow their opponents many scoring opportunities in their end of the field.
Some solid work from their backline has enabled them to shut down those central channels, as they are masters at condensing the pitch, conceding a goal or fewer in five straight matches in all competitions at El Monumental.
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When talking about clubs with a solid defensive shape, you have to mention the body of work at Godoy Cruz, a club that have been incredibly sharp in that department, conceding the second-fewest goals to date (five) in the second phase of the Argentine Primera Division.
Last Saturday, they were about as sharp as can be on the back end, holding Colon to under 50% possession and zero shots on target.
Manager Favio Orsi has this team traditionally lining up with two holding midfielders and another three just in behind their lone striker, and that setup has enabled them to disrupt their opponents' flow on the ball, often holding their foes to a pass accuracy of under 70%.
On the flip side, their accuracy and distribution is usually below that mark, and they do not create many scoring opportunities away from home, netting once or fewer in five consecutive domestic encounters dating back to the first phase of this competition.
To face a club with the talent level of River Plate in front of that intimidating venue of over 70,000 screaming fans is a big ask for any side.
If their recent history tells us anything though, it is that they are more than capable of handling themselves in a challenging environment like that, with one win and a draw in their only three visits domestically to that historic stadium.
Godoy have reacted well when facing a deficit in recent games, coming back to earn four points from losing positions in their previous two fixtures in which they conceded first.
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Team News
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River Plate goalkeeper Franco Armani stopped four shots in the second leg of their Copa Libertadores tie to collect a clean sheet, allowing just a single goal in his previous three home fixtures in all competitions.
With their leader in assists and goals off to the English Premier League, the likes of Braian Romero and Jose Paradela will be counted on to step up and generate some goals, as Romero has tallied three times domestically, while Paradela has two assists.
Jonatan Maidana will be suspended for this encounter following his expulsion in their 3-2 defeat at Huracan last Sunday, while we might see some of their regulars return to the fold this weekend, as Milton Casco, Paulo Diaz, Enzo Fernandez, Enzo Perez, Rodrigo Aliendro, Nicolas De La Cruz and Romero all sat out of their previous domestic encounter.
Tadeo Allende tallied his first of the domestic campaign in their victory last week over Colon, as their leading goalscorer Salomon Rodriguez notched the assist, while Martin Ojeda has set up three goals so far this year, putting him in a tie for the most in league play.
Goalkeeper Diego Rodriguez has two clean sheets at home in this phase of the domestic campaign, while Cristian Chavez and Gonzalo Abrego are the only players to tally for them on the road in the second round of this competition.
Only one change was made to the Gody starting 11 to kick off the month of July, as Elias Lopez, who is on loan from River Plate, replaced Guillermo Ortiz on defence.
River Plate possible starting lineup:
Armani; Casco, Mammana, Diaz, Gomez; Quintero, Perez, Barco, De La Cruz; Romero, Suarez
Godoy Cruz possible starting lineup:
D. Rodriguez; Lopez, Ferrari, Barrios, Negri; Abrego, Andrada; Ojeda, Ponce, Allende; S. Rodriguez
We say: River Plate 1-0 Godoy Cruz
The home side may have a difficult time at the start to maintain such a high intensity on little rest, while also managing the psychological letdown from earlier this week, but we expect them to carry the bulk of the play, and eventually, all of that pressure should pay off.
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