River has to rebound from the 2‑1 loss to Huracán at the Monumental.
That defeat stripped River of a crucial opportunity to rise in the 2027 Libertadores race through the annual table.
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Ponzio’s side sits eighth with 42 points while Instituto and Gimnasia surge, Rosario Central and Boca lead, and Estudiantes eye an upset at Lanús. In my view, the coach must spark an instant revival.
With six games left, River trails the annual‑table leaders Independiente Rivadavia by six points, even as they still have a clash with Barracas Central.
The final picture depends on how Libertadores spots are allocated between the league and the Copa Argentina; should a top‑three side win either competition, an additional slot opens for lower‑ranked clubs.
To put it in context, Argentinos Juniors ended the 2025 annual table in third place with 57 points. River’s 42 points mean it must reach that mark to remain in contention.
Securing the Clausura title would still lock in a direct Libertadores berth for River.
Just outside the eight playoff places, the Millonario matches Atlético Tucumán on points but lags in goal difference, remaining five points shy of leaders Argentinos Juniors.
Tigre and Barracas Central, both on 12 points, could leapfrog Ponzio’s squad after the round concludes.
River still faces six matches before the Clausura regular season wraps up.
- Matchday 12: host Estudiantes de Río Cuarto.
- Matchday 11: travel to Sarmiento on Wednesday October 14, 19:30.
- Matchday 13: face Belgrano away.
- Matchday 14: host Racing.
- Matchday 15: travel to Boca on the weekend of November 1.
- Can River clinch a Libertadores place before the season wraps up?
Among them, the Superclásico at La Bombonera on November 1 looms as a decisive test for River’s Libertadores ambitions.