The last time River received VelezNúñez’s team beat Liniers 5 to 0. It was on the hot Sunday of February 4 for the third round of the League Cup. Eight and a half months later they will meet again at the Monumental but some things have changed since then. Today, the team he leads Gustavo Quinterosas at that time, is the leader of the Professional League and the Millionaire, now commanded by Marcelo Gallardo and not for Martin Demichelisis with his head in the Copa Libertadores and has the last chance to fight for the local tournament in this duel against Fortín.
Of the 22 players who took the field that day, there are seven footballers who are no longer in either club. On the River side, Andrés Herrera, Agustín Palavecino and Esequiel Barco. And on the Vélez side, Leonardo Jara, Lenny Lobato, Juan Méndez and José Florentín.
River had started the year as if to sweep it and that win (in which Miguel Borja scored a hat-trick and Facundo Colidio a double) was exciting. However, the Demichelis cycle withered until it ended three months ago. Gallardo returned and with him came two world champions, like German Pezzella y Marcos Acuña.
Both were concerned about their injuries in the match with Platense but they are now available, even Huevo who is ready to play. Instead, Fabricio Bustos would arrive with just enough to the duel against Atlético Mineiro for the first leg of the Copa Libertadores semi-finals. The one who will surely return to Vélez is Maxi Mezaalready rehabilitated from an ailment in his left ankle. And with the cup duel approaching, Muñeco would put together a mix to face the championship leader.
Vélez, for its part, rose from the ashes of that rout and the notable thing is that it did so with the same coach and the same player base. Half the starting team repeats that defeat (Tomás Marchiori, Emanuel Mammana, Valentín Gómez, Claudio Aquino and Brian Romero) and three others who start today were on the substitute bench that afternoon. They are Christian Ordóñez, Agustín Bouzat and Francisco Pizzini.
“It is a result that makes me ashamed as a coach. “I never expected a performance, in the first half, of such fragility in the mark, leaving the rivals so free in the area”Quinteros said in that press conference after the win with River. And he added: “We must change the attitude, it is a team that, at the first adversity, falls a lot emotionally. It is difficult for him to reverse adverse situations, it is an emotional issue that must be resolved.”
And from there he began to solve it until turning his Vélez into the best team in Argentine football in 2024 until now, since it has just been runner-up in the League Cup, leader in the League and also leader in the annual table. He has a neat game, with good ball circulation and with armed plays so that they come together in Brian Romerothe championship’s top scorer, with 10 goals, who is having a great time. The former River has been in Fortín 18 goals in 45 gameswhile in Núñez he had scored 15 in 52 games.
Brian Romero, in his time as a River player, converting him to Vélez. Photo Juano Tesone – CLARIN
River knows that he has the last opportunity to get on the train of the fight for the titleafter having earned just one point in the last two games. And the chance of discounting is unbeatable since he will have the leader of the competition in front of him. He is eleven points away and a win would put him at 8 points, with 9 dates ahead. At the same time, it seeks to maintain its qualification place for the 2025 Copa Libertadores. For its part, Vélez, who has just won a decisive match against Racing, hopes to add so that the guards Huracán and Talleres do not approach him.
For all this, an attractive match is expected at the Monumental, which will look packed and expectant. Not only for this duel, but also for that of the Libertadores. Although, to arrive well at the clash with Atlético Mineiro in Belo Horizonte, River will look for a local joy that fills it with confidence.
