River Plate returned to training this week to prepare for the postseason after finishing fourth in Zona B with a win over Aldosivi in Mar del Plata, La Página Millonaria reported. Their opponent will be Lanús, which finished fifth in Zona A following a draw against Central Córdoba.
Both clubs are working from a tentative schedule that targets Sunday, November 22, for the single-elimination match in Buenos Aires. If there is a tie, the match will be decided by a penalty shootout, as noted by Fortaleza Granate.
River seeks Friday match due to international window
River management has formally requested that the match be moved forward to Friday, November 20, arguing that the extended break caused by the FIFA international window negatively affects match rhythm, according to La Página Millonaria. Lanús prefers to keep the original Sunday date to ensure the availability of Paraguayan forward Alan Wlk, who is on international duty and is not expected to return to Argentina until Thursday.
Santiago Beltrán, Gonzalo Montiel, and Thiago Almada were called up by the Argentina national team, though Montiel is suspended for the round of 16. Meanwhile, youth internationals Espíndola, Pereyra, and Andrada were released from the Under-20 squad and are expected to rejoin training under Leonardo Ponzio.
An additional scheduling factor involves Boca Juniors, which plays the Copa Sudamericana final against Atlético Mineiro in Colombia on Saturday, November 21. If the River-Lanús match moves to Friday, it precedes that continental final. If it remains on Sunday, River will play after the outcome of that match is decided.
Path to the Clausura title and Copa Libertadores implications
With River out of all other competitions and lacking the points required in the annual aggregate table, winning the domestic tournament is the club’s only remaining path to qualify for the 2027 Copa Libertadores, TyC Sports reported. The postseason bracket features single-elimination matches through the semifinals, with home-field advantage awarded to the higher-seeded team in the regular standings.
If River advances past Lanús, its potential path includes a quarterfinal against either Instituto or Huracán, with a possible quarterfinal match played in Córdoba. The tournament final is scheduled for December 12 in La Plata.
Lanús enters the round of 16 on a nine-match unbeaten run across all competitions since a narrow defeat against Boca Juniors, according to Fortaleza Granate. The club has historical success in knockout matches against River, including a 3-1 aggregate victory in the 2013 Copa Sudamericana and a 4-3 aggregate win in the 2017 Copa Libertadores semifinals, though it has not won at the Monumental in 13 years.
Carlos Izquierdoz discusses the Monumental visit
Lanús captain Carlos Izquierdoz spoke about the upcoming encounter, stating: Es lindo ir a jugar al Monumental.
Fortaleza Granate noted that Canale, Cardozo, and Medina are expected to be available for the visit to the Monumental.
Worth a look
