Insúa ahead of the Boca clash: "It would be a good six months if San Lorenzo makes the playoffs"

Sunday brings the clásico, and Rubén Darío Insúa already has his mind on Boca. San Lorenzo will host the Xeneize in Matchday 10 of Zone A of the 2026 Torneo Clausura at Estadio Pedro Bidegain, and the coach reviewed the Ciclón's current form, the upcoming rival, and what he expects from this stretch of the season in an interview with ESPN F90.

Insúa didn't hold back when it came to setting the immediate target. No beating around the bush: for the coach, the team needs to finish among the top eight in the domestic championship, something that at San Lorenzo isn't a luxury but almost an obligation when talking about short term goals.

It would be a good six months if San Lorenzo makes the playoffs. At the big clubs you always have to build with an eye on winning again.Rubén Darío Insúa

On Boca, the coach wasn't expecting any surprises in the lineup that Claudio Úbeda... sorry, Arruabarrena will put out. The Xeneize just booked their spot in the semifinals of the CONMEBOL Sudamericana after drawing with Sao Paulo in Brazil, and for Insúa that doesn't change the analysis: they played on Tuesday, but they'll have plenty of time to arrive in good shape.

It doesn't surprise me that Arruabarrena starts his regulars. He's in a good moment. They played Tuesday and they'll have plenty of time to recover.Rubén Darío Insúa

The Gallego also took the chance to put Argentine soccer's overall level into context, with Boca fighting in the Sudamericana and Estudiantes de La Plata in the Libertadores semifinals, without leaving aside what it meant to reach another World Cup final.

A different San Lorenzo than before

The interesting part came when Insúa compared this third stint to his two previous ones at Boedo. He was self critical yet honest: he believes his best work came during his second spell, precisely because the club was in worse shape and there was more rowing to do. Now, he says, there's more work ahead than in any of his previous stints.

When we arrived the last time there was no money, we had to bet on young players, and things weren't going well. We ended up finishing well. That's what we're here for: to solve problems, not just describe them. Right now we're in this spot, but with time we're going to be better.Rubén Darío Insúa

The coach went further and talked about the formula that, in his view, keeps San Lorenzo sustainable over time: doing good work with the youth academy. The more young players who come up through the ranks, the less need there is to spend in the market, and that generational renewal ends up being the foundation for competing for titles if it's kept up over time.

There was also room to look back at his recent spell at Barracas Central, where he coached his own son. Insúa said that at first he turned it down, precisely for that reason, until his son himself gave him the green light to sit down and negotiate.

With all that context on the table, San Lorenzo and Boca meet on Sunday, September 20, broadcast on TNT Sports for Argentina and Disney+ for the rest of Latin America. Kickoff is at 2:45 PM in Argentina and Uruguay, 1:45 PM in Chile, and 12:45 PM in Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador.