Leonardo Ponzio will field an unchanged starting eleven for the fourth consecutive match when River Plate host Huracán at the Monumental. The manager is sticking with the core group of players that has secured three straight wins in the Liga Profesional Argentina.
Ponzio explained the decision. "River has an almost undisputed base of starting players," the coach said, confirming the continuity of the unit that beat Atlético Tucumán (1-2), Independiente Rivadavia (3-1) and Banfield (2-3).
The minutes foundation
Ten of the eleven starters are the squad members who have played the most minutes in the Clausura tournament. Santiago Beltrán and Nicolás Otamendi are the only two to have completed all 90 minutes in all nine matches, each accumulating 810. They are followed by Lucas Martínez Quarta, with 88 minutes in his last outing, and Tomás Galván, who has 546 minutes from nine appearances.
Fausto Vera has 450 minutes, also from nine games. Gonzalo Montiel has logged 660 minutes across eight matches, while Ángel Correa has 613 from the same number. Tobías Andrada (481 minutes in six games), Thiago Almada (443 in five) and Marcos Acuña (404 in five) round out the most-used group. The eleventh man in the lineup, Lucas Beltrán, has 420 minutes from nine fixtures.
Driussi's context
Sebastián Driussi, with six goals this season in 19 appearances, is the only starter not among the top ten for minutes. The forward missed the first five Clausura matches with a left calf tear and has so far accumulated 224 minutes across four games. His return and goal in the last match against Atlético Tucumán further bolsters the team's attacking options.
River Plate enter this match seventh in the table with 13 points, five behind leaders Argentinos Juniors. The last meeting between the sides, in March, ended in a 1-2 away win for River. For the full squad status, check the squad section.
The confirmed starting eleven for the clash against Huracán is: Santiago Beltrán; Gonzalo Montiel, Lucas Martínez Quarta, Nicolás Otamendi, Marcos Acuña; Tomás Galván, Fausto Vera; Tobías Andrada, Thiago Almada, Ángel Correa; and Sebastián Driussi.
