After some days of uncertainty with the incredibly flawed CONMEBOL, the stage for the Libertadores Final is now set. The first Superclasico final in the history of this storied tournament. Position by position, they match-up quite evenly. Let’s dive deeper.
Goalkeepers
Boca Juniors: Esteban Andrada (+), Agustin Rossi
River Plate: Franco Armani
Boca features two goalkeepers. It seems likely that Agustin Rossi will start the first leg, and Andrada will take over for the second leg. Andrada broke his jaw after a collision with Dede in the quarterfinals and Rossi has been filling in since then. He’s done a more than respectable job in the process considering many fans counted Boca out without their starting goalkeeper.
River has finally found their true goalkeeper as Armani has cemented himself as the top player at his position in all of America. Boca will have an extremely tough time scoring against him.
Advantage: River Plate
Defenders
Boca Juniors: Leonardo Jara, Carlos Izquierdoz, Lisandro Magallan, Lucas Olaza (!)
River Plate: Gonzalo Montiel, Javier Pinola (!), Jonatan Maidana (!), Milton Casco
River has veterans Pinola and Maidana in the back but they’ll have to play the first leg carefully considering that if they get booked they miss the second leg due to the accumulation of yellow cards. Montiel and Casco have improved their form lately but they’re prone to making childish mistakes.
Boca has found their true #2 since the days of Rolando Schiavi with the transfer of Carlos Izquierdoz who’s quickly turned into a fan favorite. Magallan is solid and has improved his form considerably since Izquierdoz started playing next to him. Olaza is a solid left back with good attacking qualities including an excellent mid-range shot. Jara is somewhat of a weak link in the defense as he’s been struggling with injuries and form recently.
Advantage: Tied, depends on if either Pinola or Maidana are booked in the first leg.
Midfielders
Boca Juniors: Wilmar Barrios, Nahitan Nandez (!), Pablo Perez (!), Fernando Gago
River Plate: Enzo Perez (!), Leonardo Ponzio (+), Juanfer Quintero, Nacho Fernandez, Franco Zuculini, Gonzalo Martinez (+!), Exequiel Palacios
Boca rolled out pretty much the same midfield in most of the Libertadores elimination stage with Barrios playing the role of containing midfielder Nandez roaming free going after the ball carrier, shutting down counter-attack after counter-attack and Pablo Perez playing the distributor role. Barrios and Nandez are one of the best defensive midfield tandems but if Nandez is booked in the first leg he’ll miss the second one.
River features plenty of rotation and depth in midfield. This was much needed with the injuries they had. When everyone is healthy, Ponzio plays defensive midfield. Palacios plays by his side with Martinez and Fernandez on the wings and Quintero entering as a super-sub. Lately, Martinez has been banged up and Ponzio was injured in the semifinals so the starting midfield for River is up in the air.
Advantage: Boca, because of the injuries. If River gets back Ponzio and Martinez in time, then it’s tied.
Strikers
Boca Juniors: Dario Benedetto, Cristian Pavon (!), Sebastian Villa, Mauro Zarate, Carlos Tevez, Wanchope Abila
River Plate: Ignacio Scocco (+), Lucas Pratto (!), Rafael Santos Borre (!)
With Benedetto finally regaining his form, Boca has a dilemma as to who’ll play #9 versus River. So far, Abila is ahead because of his physicality. Boca features two speedsters on the wings in the form of Pavon and Villa who’ll look to exploit the spaces left by Casco and Montiel and the lack of speed from Maidana and Pinola. Zarate is the super-sub for Boca, as he has impeccable technique but has been struggling recently.
River brings Borre who’s in incredible form. They also have Pratto who, even though he’s been dry in the goalscoring numbers, has been key to the overall playing style of Marcelo Gallardo. Behind them is Scocco, who’s scored against Boca in their past two matchups. However, he’s currently nursing an injury in his calf.
Advantage: Tied yet again, depending on the status of Scocco
*(+) – player is currently dealing with an injury and is in doubt for the final.
*(!) – player has accumulated two yellow cards. If he gets one in the first leg, he’ll miss the second.
This series is incredibly tight, and neither squad seems to have any significant advantage over the other. This will be the best Libertadores final in history, so make sure you don’t miss it.
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