Too much River for too little Gymnastics. The Wolf was never able to capture the original idea of the game on the court, he had a hard time keeping the ball in his possession and he almost never managed to move into attacking positions. He lost well, without extenuating circumstances, once morest a team that was far superior. The final result 1-0 fell short in a Monumental that lived through the Gallardo Doll and “returned” his team following the defeats and controversies.
River began the game with the intention of becoming the protagonist of the match. Gymnastics, in a waiting position in their own field, with the idea of playing on the flanks and back of Bruno Zuculini, where the interiors of Gallardo’s team are more eager to attack than to go backwards.
For this reason, the Wolf tried to reduce spaces, although they did not always succeed, and the start of the game had the local with more mobility and ambition.
The first touch of attention was from the millionaire group, precisely with a high pressure from the local that forced Gimnasia errors at the start. Thus, an overflow from the right ended with the arrival of Palavecino who failed to give force to the ball and was easy for Rodrigo Rey to control.
The development of the game was basically on healthy mens ground. River felt the owner of the procedure and every time he might he activated the fast attacks, of those that with precision are a registered trademark of the Gallardo cycle. After a good combination, Agustín Palavecino tried once more – this time from medium distance – and Rey responded very well by sending the ball to the corner.
Then, the one who tried from mid-distance was Bruno Zuculini and the ball went to the corner kick. Of the same, airway River almost achieved the advantage. Just 21 minutes into the first stage Gimnasia was able to get something out and an action by Paraguayan Ramón Sosa forced a minimum demand from Franco Armani.
River seemed to recover the lost memory throughout this beginning of the semester. With Zuculini firm in midfield, with Aliendro and Palavecino managing the ball, Gimnasia tried to avoid a 2 – 1 draw to their own full-backs. In any case, the effort did not bear fruit because the possession of the ball by the albiazul team lasted seconds. Possessions did not last and much less might they think of supplying Eric Ramírez and Franco Soldano, fighting in numerical inferiority in each action.
At 33 minutes the Wolf was able to warn. Soldano won high, the ball spread to the left and they managed to supply Ramón Sosa. The Paraguayan’s goal was left in front of him and he took a good shot that Franco Armani with great effort managed to deflect to the corner kick. It was the first real risk action by Sosa, at that point the main defensive concern of Mammana and his company.
The domain of the premises seemed to calm down, a little because of the fruitless wear and tear and another because the Lobo media began to gain a foothold. In any case, River continued to have control of the game, but Gymnastics began to worry regarding Sosa’s side, who sent a good cross that Armani cleared with his fists.
He was beaten in his prime and he didn’t react
When it seemed that Gimnasia was going to reach the break to shuffle and hit once more, River opened the scoring with a cross from Lucas Beltrán. A center fell from the right, Leonardo Morales’s rejection was not good and the ball was left to the striker who said present and marked the fair advantage for the team with the red band.
The complement began with the same tonic of the initial stage. River continued to control the game, handling the ball safely, feeling like a protagonist and making the rival feel the rigor. Therefore, every time Gymnastics managed to put the game on the attack, the danger of a quick counter was always latent.
Even without generating danger, River handled the ball very well also in the second half. Triangulations and exits to the outside, because the visit ensured that the final discharge of the millionaire’s attack was almost never inside.
Palavecino had it once more, who was able to break inside and went hand in hand with Rodrigo Rey, who covered with his whole body and avoided the 2-0 draw. Marcelo Gallardo moved the bench for Barco and the debutant Solari. From a quiet ball by Palavecino, Mammana had the second with a header and Rey won once more.
Gymnastics midfielders continued to run behind River’s ball control and that is why Armani’s goal was further and further away. An overflow by Barco from the left forced Rey to stretch, at this point the best of Lobo. The development of the game put the local closer to settling the game than the Tripero of the tie.
The great Gimnasia was almost removed with a still ball in which Morales and Ramirez did not connect. At that point, a center seemed to be the only chance for Gmnasia to score. Pipo decided the exits of Emanuel Cecchini and Franco Soldano for the income of Lautaro Chávez and Benjamín Domínguez, regarding half an hour into the second half. Gallardo responded with the long-awaited debut of the Colombian Borja by the scorer, Beltrán.
The Wolf tried to risk it from the variants, with one less insider and the imbalance of Chávez and Benjamín Domínguez, two youngsters with management and ability. And he was even more exposed to counterattacks with more and more space and fewer legs.
Again, as in the first half, River’s series of passes ended in Bruno Zuculini’s mid-range shot, easy for Rey. Borja had it, he put the tip of his foot and almost had a dream debut. River came and went and his biggest sin at that point was not finishing the game. Barco also had it with a high shot. Everything was local.
Pipo tried with Tomás Muro instead of Eric Ramírez, to try to have more play. As soon as Muro entered, he had to cut off an advance with a foul: the team never found the ball. River kept overflowing everywhere and making quick transitions. Only the meager 1-0 allowed Gimnasia to dream in a Monumental that applauded the “return” of the Muñeco team. Palavecino tried once more from distance and the shot went just high above the horizontal.
For Gymnastics it was a very uphill match and although the defeat is a logical result, the deficiencies in attack of a team that will have to recover from the ups and downs to continue in the fight with qualification for the cups as the main objective are worrying.
