Boca-River: 17 players arrive at La Bombonera without ever having played a Superclasico

Some games carry the weight of history on their shoulders, and the Superclasico is always one of them. But this Sunday, starting at 3:00 p.m. (Argentina time) at La Bombonera, Boca and River will face off in matchday 15 of the 2026 Clausura Tournament with a detail that changes the usual landscape: a good chunk of the players stepping onto the field have never played a clasico like this one.

The match will be broadcast live on ESPN Premium in Argentina and on Disney+ for the rest of South America. It's worth paying close attention to the lineups, because the overhaul on both rosters is so significant that this Sunday's Superclasico will look quite different from recent editions.

A list of newcomers that turns heads

In total, 17 players could be making their Superclasico debuts: five from Boca and a striking 12 from River. The number is eye-popping, especially since these aren't just unproven kids: several of these players have plenty of experience in other settings, just not in this particular fixture.

On Boca's side, those who could debut in a clasico include Colombian goalkeeper Alvaro Montero, starting between the posts; Uruguayan Leandro Lozano, who would occupy the right back spot; academy products Facundo Herrera and Leonel Flores, both from the youth ranks; and Ecuadorian Enner Valencia, as a backup forward.

At River, the number is even more striking. Those who could make their debut in the big clasico include Nicolas Otamendi, Tobias Andrada, Thiago Almada and Angel Correa, all four likely starters, along with Ezequiel Centurion, Lucas Silva, Lautaro Pereyra, Facundo Gonzalez, Tobias Ramirez, Francisco Ortega, Uruguayan Giovanni Gonzalez and his countryman Mauro Arambarri, with these last seven more likely to begin on the bench. Seen that way, River could take the field with a squad that's practically "rookie" when it comes to specific experience in this matchup.

What's changed since the last meeting at La Bombonera

River's bench is, perhaps, the most noticeable change of all. Where Marcelo Gallardo once stood, Eduardo Coudet later took over, and now the team is led by Leonardo Ponzio. Also absent are several players who were part of the last Superclasico at Boca's stadium: Franco Armani, Paulo Diaz, Juan Portillo, Galarza Fonda and Maximiliano Salas are no longer in the picture.

That previous meeting, played on November 9, 2025, ended 2-0 in favor of the home side, with goals from Exequiel Zeballos and Uruguayan Miguel Merentiel. Boca was coached at the time by Claudio Ubeda, who had taken the reins following the death of Miguel Angel Russo, whose top assistant he had been.

Between new faces, notable absences and revamped benches, the Superclasico once again shows that even when the rival and the stage remain the same, Argentine soccer keeps shifting underneath it all.