Independiente va por la clasificación en un clássico que prometeiefs y tensión

ElSunday starts with the key play: Independent must win at home to keep its place in the playoffs. The clásico of Avellaneda puts the Albinegro under pressure against a Boca that arrives with 54 points, atop the annual table and ready to consolidate before its continental final.

Two teams with different urgencies

Independent comes off a 1-1 draw against Racing at the Cilindro. With 19 points in Zona A, the team coached by Jadson Viera sits eighth, the last position available for the playoffs. A slip could push it out of that zone. Matias Abaldo could start in place of Luciano Cabral, while Maximiliano Meza would move deeper into midfield.

Boca, for its part, has been performing at a high level. The Xeneize beat Vasco da Gama 3-1 at the Maracana and secured a place in the Copa Sudamericana final. Its last local league result was a 2-1 win over Talleres. Rodolfo Arruabarrena is expected to use his regular starters, although Leandro Paredes and Lautaro Blanco would not begin. Malcom Braida will play at left back, and the attacking partner alongside Miguel Merentiel will be decided shortly before kickoff.

• Independent: Rodrigo Rey; Santiago Arias, Sebastian Valdes, Juan Miguel Arrayago, Nahuel Banegas; Mateo Perez Curci, Ivan Marcone, Maximiliano Meza; Santiago Montiel, Ezequiel Avila and Matias Abaldo.
• Boca: Alvaro Montero; Leandro Lozano, Lautaro Di Lollo, Facundo Herrera, Malcom Braida; Santiago Ascacibar, Rodrigo Battaglia, Milton Delgado; Sebastian Villa, Miguel Merentiel and Leonel Flores or Alan Velasco.

“For the Rojo, the equation is simple: win and stay in contention, or accept that the playoff classification gets more complicated. Boca can consolidate its lead and carry that momentum into the approaching continental final.”Rodrigo Bertolini, Deportes

The match is scheduled for Sunday at 17 at the Estadio Libertadores de America-Ricardo Enrique Bochini, with Nazareno Arasa as referee and broadcast on ESPN Premium. It has the flavor of a heavyweight clash, but the pressure is not shared equally: Independent needs points, while Boca can play with a little more freedom. As in any clásico, one detail can change the script. The next weekend's fixture? First, the final whistle in Avellaneda.