River Plate – Belgrano: Coudet’s latest call-up shake-up and confirmed lineups ahead of Monumental clash
River Plate – Belgrano arrives this Sunday, April 5, at 18: 00 ET at the Estadio Monumental, with River chasing a fourth straight win in the Torneo Apertura. The match closes the regular phase of the Apertura and comes with Eduardo Coudet’s squad already defined. The game also follows a club tribute to Beto Alonso, marking the 40th anniversary of the historic orange-ball goal at La Bombonera.
River Plate – Belgrano and the late changes in River’s squad
The biggest talking points are on River’s bench and in the list of call-ups. Germán Pezzella is back in the squad after recovering from a torn cruciate ligament, while Lautaro Pereyra, a 2008-category youth midfielder, has been called up for the first time. Facundo Colidio is also back in the starting eleven, one of the clearest signs that Coudet is making targeted adjustments for a match River sees as important for its place in the table.
There are also notable absences. Agustín Ruberto and Santiago Lencina were left out, with both having lost ground in 2026. Santiago Lencina had been included in previous squads despite not playing in any of River’s last four Apertura matches. Gonzalo Montiel and Marcos Acuña are also unavailable, with their absences already confirmed.
River Plate – Belgrano: what the selected squad says about the moment
The call-up list reflects a mix of recovery, youth promotion, and cautious rotation. Juan Cruz Meza returns to a professional squad after more than six months, while Lautaro Pereyra enters the group after being considered during the mini preseason in Cardales. River has also presented defender Tobías Ramírez, 19, on a contract through December 2029, a move that points to the club’s broader effort to keep building under Coudet.
River Plate – Belgrano also carries immediate sporting weight. If River wins, it would move up to second place in the first classification with 23 points and sit three points behind the leader in that table, while also tightening its position in Zone B.
River’s probable lineup features Santiago Beltrán; Fabricio Bustos, Lucas Martínez Quarta, Lautaro Rivero, Matías Viña; Aníbal Moreno, Fausto Vera, Tomás Galván, and a final attacking line still marked by options including Quintero, Freitas, or Páez, plus Subiabre or Salas alongside Sebastián Driussi.
Immediate reaction inside the camp
The clearest message from the selection is that Coudet is balancing urgency with continuity. The return of Pezzella after a serious knee injury adds experience, while the inclusion of Pereyra and Meza shows that the staff is still willing to open doors for younger players when the schedule tightens.
River Plate – Belgrano now becomes more than just a regular-phase fixture: it is a test of depth, timing, and control at the start of a demanding April stretch. The squad already set, the focus shifts to how River handles the first step in that seven-match run and whether the changes pay off under the Monumental lights.
What comes next
All attention now turns to the final confirmation of the matchday shape and River’s response on the field. If the plan works, River Plate – Belgrano could mark another clean step in the club’s run of form; if not, the absences and reshuffled pieces will become the main talking points after the final whistle.
