Four months have passed since River’s relegation nightmare in Cordoba. 28,000 River fans will be on hand for a return to the scene of the crime, this time though against second place Instituto. Kickoff is at 5:30pm EST.
Matias Almeyda will repeat the same starting lineup that has won two games in a row. The starters will be: Leandro Chichizola; Luciano Vella, Alexis Ferrero, Jonatan Maidana, Carlos Arano; Carlos Sánchez, Ezequiel Cirigliano, Martín Aguirre, Lucas Ocampos; Andrés Ríos and Fernando Cavenaghi.
River holds a one point lead over Instituto at the top of the B Nacional table. Two wins in a row have restored River’s confidence ahead of probably the most important game of the season so far.
Chori Dominguez did not make the trip as he struggles to recover from illness, and Alexis Ferrero will play despite battling a fever all week. Cesar Gonzalez was one of the key figures in Venezuela’s historic win over Argentina in World Cup qualifying this past Tuesday. Fans have responded and want to see El Maestrico get some playing time for River, but Almeyda left him behind in Buenos Aires.
The last time River played Instituto was in 2006 with a win for the Millonarios. In fact, River have won the last five time these two have met going back to 1999.
Instituto is widely considered the third biggest team in Cordoba behind Talleres and Belgrano, though their biggest rivals are Racing de Cordoba. They were founded by railway workers back in 1918 and won the second division title twice. Most notable among players who have played for La Gloria is Mario Kempes who won the World Cup with Argentina in 1978 and also won a national title with River. Kempes, who currently works for ESPN Deportes, admitted this week that his heart will be divided in two as he watches the game being played at a stadium named in his honor.
The Cordobeses have only lost one game (at Rosario Central) and have proven to have a solid defense, giving up only 6 goals in 10 games. They have won their last three in a row and their top goal scorer is Paulo Dybala (7).
The Outlook: River will have to use the atmosphere of the 58,000 on hand to its advantage. The biggest question will continue to be whether Ferrero, Maidana, Arano and Vella can keep up with the opposing forwards . Will Ferrero’s time out this week due to illness cause River problems? Surely it will be an active afternoon for Chichizola. Without Chori Dominguez, much of the midfield work will fall on the shoulders of Aguirre and Sanchez. Up front, Rios must make an impact, even if it only serves to free up Cavenaghi. Otherwise it could be long afternoon for Cavegol who will be trying to get back on the score sheet. Individual brilliance may not be enough today against a good Instituto team. That said, there is no reason to doubt Almeyda’s team is capable of coming home with three points.
