Madelón’s plan to take on Gallardo’s River | OneFootball

Leonardo Madelón did not dodge the topic in the press conference after the 1-1 draw against Huracán. When asked how he imagines the approach to face River, this Thursday at 21:15 in Mendoza for the round of 16 of the Copa Argentina, the Unión DT spoke of “the tactical trap”, a concept that left open the possibility of introducing variants in the formation.

Madelón, with his sights on the rival

“River has a great squad, but we also have good players. It's about doing our thing and finding the best strategy to try to gain an advantage in the aspects that we can. These are the kind of matches we like. It reminds us of what happened eight years ago. We're coming in strong and after that, it's just football. Hopefully, we can mark a new beginning in the Copa Argentina,” Madelón expressed.

The coach, who jokingly said that the idea was to “kidnap Colidio”, hinted that beyond repeating the starting eleven that drew with Globo, there could be an adjustment based on the rival.

That movement would involve strengthening the defensive sector with the entry of Claudio Corvalán, whom he praised after the last match by remarking that he was “recovered” from a slump in his level.

The inclusion of the experienced defender on the left flank would displace Mateo Del Blanco towards the midfield, freeing up Franco Fragapane for creation. Consequently, one of the forwards —Marcelo Estigarribia or Cristian Tarragona— could leave their place, betting on a more balanced scheme with! greater solidity in the mark.

That's because in the match against Huracán, Del Blanco suffered greatly with Juan Bisanz, while Fragapane's contribution in the retreat was very poor. In this way, it would be one of the sectors where Madelón intends to solidify for the match against River.

It's not very common for Madelón to line up his team with a line of five defenders, but in this “tactical trap” it wouldn't be far-fetched for him to lean towards doing so, or rather reinforce the middle, to leave a single striker and attack through the sides with Fragapane and Julián Palacios.

The importance of the Copa Argentina for Madelón

Madelón also highlighted the importance of the tournament: “We're coming out of the lower zone, but the Copa Argentina is extremely important. It gives you nice things. I always defend it. It's very important and that's why we always want to be in it”.

History gives a special flavor to this matchup: in 2016, in Mar del Plata, River eliminated Unión in the quarterfinals with a resounding 3-0. This time, in Mendoza, two old acquaintances will meet again on the benches: Leonardo Madelón and Marcelo Gallardo, in a new tactical pulse that promises to be exciting.

Unión travels with illusion, aware that the challenge is huge, but confident that the “tactical trap” that Madelón is preparing can tip the balance in a Copa night that invites dreaming.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.