River Plate aims for spectacular home final of the Copa Libertadores

There is still a long way to go in the Copa Libertadores this season, but no one will stop River Plate fans from dreaming of a home final in Buenos Aires in November.

The Estadio Mâs Monumental is set to host the 2024 Copa Libertadores final, a match worth an extra $23 million to the winner, and River Plate is seeking the privilege of attending its own continental party, just as Fluminense did in the 2023 showdown in Rio de Janeiro, the day the host city team lifted the trophy.

It has been an interesting season for River Plate, to say the least. They said goodbye to coach Martin Demichelis after stumbling too often in the league, but now the mood has changed drastically. That’s because former River boss Marcelo Gallardo is back a couple of years after leaving the club, and there is no man more popular among the ‘Gallina’ supporters.

Marcelo Gallardo is River Plate’s most successful coach in modern history. In his first spell in charge, he won two Copa Libertadores titles with the club, defeating rivals Boca Juniors in one of them. It’s no wonder that a statue was dedicated to him in front of the Monumental.

Now it would be fitting that he returns and leads River Plate to their fifth Copa Libertadores title. Given the success he has already achieved with the club, this is perhaps the only achievement that could boost Gallardo’s standing at River Plate.

Could this be a poisonous chalice, though? Just one game into his second spell at River Plate, Gallardo has managed a 1-1 draw in the league at home to Huracán and now faces continental knockout football. There may not be enough time to get this team back into form and avoid elimination from an extremely difficult competition.

River Plate currently sits in ninth place in the Argentine league and has won just one game in its last five matches. Their rivals in the Copa Round of 16 are Talleres of Córdoba, also from Argentina. These teams have met eight times since 2016 and Talleres have four wins and one draw against River, so they are not to be taken lightly.

In addition to the arrival of Gallardo, River Plate have made important signings in Fabricio Bustos and German Pezzella, but have they had enough time to fit into this team before their big clash in the Copa Libertadores?

If River can beat Talleres, they will face a favourable draw against either Colo Colo of Chile or Junior of Colombia in the quarter-finals. There will be no easy games in this competition, but avoiding all seven remaining Brazilian teams until the semi-finals would certainly be a blessing. Also important is that River cannot face favourites such as Flamengo or Palmeiras until the final itself, where they would of course have the advantage of playing that game at home in Buenos Aires.

Is this fairytale coming too quickly at a shaky Riverside or are the stars aligned for Marcelo Gallardo? We’ll know more after this week’s first leg at Talleres, but if they can outrun their compatriots by any means necessary, they’ll have time to find their form before the quarter-finals and perhaps Gallardo can set another record.