River Plate vs Blooming – News and Probable Lineups

Having already secured their place in the knockout stage of the Copa Sudamericana, River Plate welcomes Blooming to Estadio Monumental on Wednesday evening, as they look to clinch the top position in Group H.

Finishing in first place guarantees direct qualification to the round of 16, and avoiding a defeat against the already eliminated Bolivian side will confirm their supremacy in the group.

Match overview

As one of five unbeaten leaders ahead of the sixth and final round of this phase, River is determined to conclude the group stage without a loss.

Eduardo Coudet, who took over as head coach in early March, has adapted well in the role since succeeding the iconic Marcelo Gallardo.

Despite failing to clinch the Torneo Apertura title after a 3-2 defeat to Belgrano in the playoff final, La Banda remains on track to progress to the Copa Sudamericana round of 16.

While they cannot focus too far ahead on claiming a second title — 12 years after their first in 2014 — they are just one favorable result away from moving on to the last 16 of the tournament.

Currently positioned to secure advancement, River only needs to earn a single point on Wednesday to finish as Group H winners.

With River holding a favorable head-to-head record against second-place Carabobo, who trail them by two points, a draw in this match will ensure they finish at the top, irrespective of the outcome in what should be a crucial match for second place between Carabobo and Red Bull Bragatino.

The form indicates that the Argentine side will likely encounter little to no resistance, given the performances of their Bolivian visitors.

Celestes make their way to Buenos Aires having managed only one point from a maximum of 15 during the group stage, which has resulted in their early exit.

No team in the group stage has conceded as many as the 14 goals that Celestes have, while they have found the net just three times, resulting in a goal difference of -11 before Wednesday’s match.

Recent domestic results have not brightened the spirits in Santa Cruz, as Blooming has not won in over a month since a narrow triumph over Nacional Potosi, and currently sits seventh in the top division after just seven matches.

Although there is still opportunity to rectify their shaky league start, second chances are unavailable in the Sudamericana; however, the eliminated team is looking for ways to break their seven-match winless streak across all competitions this week.

Team News

Marcos Acuna had to leave the pitch with what appeared to be an injury in the 70th minute against Belgrano on Sunday, casting doubt on his availability for Wednesday’s match.

Should Acuna be unavailable, he will join Tobias Ramirez, Matias Vina, Sebastian Driussi, and Agustin Roberto on the sidelines.

Without Driussi, the leading scorer for the team both in the league and across the continent, River will need to uncover alternative attacking strategies against the competition’s weakest defence.

Blooming seemed to emerge from last week’s 2-0 defeat to Carabobo with no new injuries, providing head coach Sanchez with a fit squad to choose from.

While Bayron Garces is the team’s top scorer in the league with four goals, he has yet to score in international play after five appearances, four of which were starts.

In contrast, Celestes have relied on three different players for scoring — Anthony Vasquez, Moises Villarroel, and Roberto Hinojosa — indicating a lack of a reliable goal-scorer in their lineup.

River Plate probable starting XI:

Beltran; Bustos, Pezzella, Quarta, Rivero; Moreno, Vera; Meza, Colidio, Galvan; Freitas

Blooming probable starting XI:

Uraezana; Enoumba, Carrasco, Vila, Cabral; Mercado, Oliveros; Chura, Hinojosa, Centella; Vasquez

With Blooming already out of contention and struggling in attack and defence, another challenging evening is anticipated in Argentina.

It is expected that River will uphold their unbeaten streak in Group H with a decisive victory.