Copa Libertadores: Find out how Gallardo has behaved as a coach against Brazilian teams

Now River is even more River than ever. Now Marcelo Gallardo is the most tactical and strategic coach of all time.

This is what kind of challenge that before, a few years ago, stifled, compressed it. Gorgeous, haughty in home meetings, he had the habit of shaving national competitions with indisputable authority. Marcelo Gallardo has changed the recent history of the Argentine giant and, in a way, has added a dose of courage and international courage that threatens to settle in the future. River enjoys direct confrontations, international meetings, especially during the construction of the prologue of the decisive parties, of those who leave their mark, of those who define the winners. Not only does he play football with a daring clbad: he adds a dose of spirit, temperance and voracity to any test. However, the opponent is not a set without scrolls, it is a big one from Brazil. He is the champion, the same who took Lanús out of the scene – all and here – a few days after that fateful night at the Fortress, this river healed before Boca after a long journey.

The Monumental dresses in the evening from 9:45 pm against a rogue team in Brazilian technique. Logically, it also feels comfortable in the game of face to face, a style that Renato, his coach, knows by heart. Beyond some injuries, Gremio is presented as a major test, compared to the clashes with Racing and Independiente, solved with three goals at home. This story will be the other way round: the millionaire team has to set its final destination in Porto Alegre, at Arena Do Gremio, a modern, beautiful and intimidating scene for some 61,000 spectators.

Gallardo understands very well: the match does not end tonight. It's just an advance. His idea of ​​"being overwhelming" is a possible initial position. The technician knows very well that very few people have solved a series in the first function. However, beyond this and there, River generally appreciates this dose of adrenaline, anxiety and high tension football.

"It will be difficult, but in Monumental, we will have the support of our people and during the revenge, it will be nice to play in a hostile climate, because the team feels stronger," agrees Exequiel Palacios , barely 20 years old. The maturity of his voice is reflected in the maturity of his game: the team does not feel uncomfortable with vertigo. "No, on the contrary: River likes complicated battles," he adds.

This idea is retained by qualified personnel to reach the other shore along the ledge and, above all, in the manner of Marcelo Gallardo. "It will be a difficult match, it will be played according to the intentions of both teams Gremio is the last champion, but I have a lot of confidence in the team so that it can give a positive result then go fight in Brazil", warns the Muñeco. Exactly that: play and fight.

Brazilian teams still have headaches when considering millions of dollars. With Gallardo, the thermometer raises and lowers the temperature. He had eight games: two wins, three draws and three losses. Eleven goals in favor, 9 goals against. He has never won as a local Copa Libertadores. However …

He advanced the two times he played apart. And that happened in the group stages, as first, on San Pablo in 2016 and on Flamengo in 2018. The detail: Copa Libertadores 2015: fell 1-0 in Núñez and beat 3-0 (perhaps the best game of the Gallardo era) with Cruzeiro in the quarterfinals.

-Copa Sudamericana 2015: celebration 3-1 at the Monumental and defeat 2 -1 against Chapecoense in the quarterfinals.

-Copa Libertadores 2016 : 1-1 at home and 2-1 down with Saint-Paul in the group stage.

– Copa Libertadores 2018: 2-2 in Rio de Janeiro (the series started with 32 games without defeat, finishing 1-0 with Colón) and 0-0 with Flamengo in the first round.

"We are here to make a great match and we take a drink n result for Porto Alegre," warned the side Bruno Cortez. "River is a team of many virtues, it has a great coach, it will be a good duel, but we are ready for this war," said the defender.

Pity Martínez will return to the stage, Quintero will be the other driver and Scocco will continue. Everton and Luan – they have eight goals in the Libertadores – are injured in Gremio. "If I could not play, I would not have come," said Luan, a member of the delegation in Buenos Aires.

There will be a special reception for the team and, above all, for Gallardo. The Monumental will be packed, while the 4000 tickets for the return match, which will take place next Tuesday in Brazil, have already been sold.

Javier Pinola defines Gallardo according to two concepts: "He is far superior to all, without harming anyone and with the respect that every technician deserves.For how he reads the games, how he raises them." This ability and this Recent mysticism makes River a dangerous formation. Even for the champion of America.

( Source: The Nación)