River Aims to Strike First in Asunción

River Plate will face Libertad this Thursday at La Huerta Stadium in Asunción for the first leg of the Copa Libertadores round of 16. The match will be officiated by Brazilian referee Wilton Sampaio.

Marcelo Gallardo’s side arrives with both optimism and concerns. Despite leading Group B in the Torneo Clausura, they have gone two matches without a win and face their first major international test of the semester. Injuries have hit the defense hard: Germán Pezzella tore his ACL, Lucas Martínez Quarta is recovering from a knee sprain, and Paulo Díaz has a synovitis issue but will partner Sebastián Boselli in the center. Up front, Sebastián Driussi is available, while Maximiliano Salas is still recovering but could feature from the bench.

Libertad, meanwhile, comes from a 1-1 draw against Deportivo Recoleta in the Paraguayan league. Coach Sergio Aquino is dealing with the loss of starting goalkeeper Rodrigo Morínigo, who suffered a thigh injury. Veteran Uruguayan keeper Martín Silva, recently back from a long layoff, is set to start. Despite sitting sixth in the domestic table, the Gumarelo will rely on experience to try and gain an advantage before the return leg in Buenos Aires.