River: Marcelo Gallardo’s thoughts on Juan Carlos Portillo’s performance | OneFootball

The break for the double date of South American Qualifiers is perfect for River. With two weeks of preparation ahead, Marcelo Gallardo will be able to test different variants for the decisive duels against Palmeiras, for the quarterfinals of the Copa Libertadores. For this key, it is not unreasonable to think about the inclusion of Juan Carlos Portillo, who is being evaluated as an alternative to accompany Enzo Pérez in the middle of the field.

His presentation as a central midfielder against San Martín de San Juan at the Monumental left some certainties. Firstly, that his versatility allows him to cover the backline as well as the midfield, and secondly, that, wherever he plays, his physical presence and his aggressiveness to recover the ball are non-negotiable.

With deployment and sacrifice, Portillo complemented very well with Kevin Castaño and gave the Colombian freedom to play with a bit more looseness. Strong in one-on-one situations (despite the 3/9 in ground duels) and in the aerial game, he stood out much more in the defensive facet than in the offensive.

And here the first alarm goes off. Although he had a correct distribution of the ball, in fact he hit 37 of the 42 (88%) passes he tried and his four long deliveries reached their destination (according to data provided by Sofascore), the truth is that his game with the ball lacked incidence. Many of his deliveries were lateral or somewhat imprecise.

That's why one of Gallardo's first conclusions is that, in case of using him in midfield, the ideal is to place him next to someone who can provide a more reliable and progressive first pass. In that sense, the Portillo-Enzo Pérez tandem begins to take shape for what's to come.

The Millonario will have these two weeks of preparation before facing Estudiantes in La Plata next Saturday, for the eighth date of the Apertura Tournament. Just four days later, on Wednesday, September 17, will come the first leg of the quarterfinals against Palmeiras, the most important clash of the year.

We will have to see if the Muñeco uses the match against Pincha to finalize details for the Copa Libertadores, and if he does, if he bets on giving Portillo some game time as a midfielder. Today, the position next to captain Enzo Pérez is held by Castaño, but his lack of weight in both areas could make him lose his place to the Sicario, who at least does have influence in his own.

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