River beats Vélez 3-2 in closed-doors friendly at Ezeiza

With no Liga Profesional fixture during the FIFA window, River used the break to get some minutes in a different way: a closed-doors friendly at the Ezeiza training complex against Vélez, which ended 3-2 in the Millonario's favor. No points on the line, but plenty of legs, game rhythm and a few snapshots that offer clues about what's ahead.

The match had a bit of everything. River took the lead through goals from Sebastián Driussi, Ángel Correa and Lucas Beltrán, three names who are logging important minutes in the coaching staff's plans. Vélez, who didn't show up just to make up the numbers, pulled two goals back through Juan Cruz Policella and Matías Arias, leaving a scoreline that in practice served more as an intensity test than anything else.

Pulling the strings on River's side was Leonardo Ponzio, who fielded Ezequiel Centurión between the posts behind a back line of Gonzalo Montiel, Lucas Martínez Quarta, Nicolás Otamendi and Marcos Acuña. Juan Cruz Meza, Fausto Vera and Tomás Galván started in midfield, with Ángel Correa pushed up a notch alongside Driussi and Rafael Santos Borré in attack.

On the other side, Guillermo Barros Schelotto sent out Facundo Sanguinetti in goal, with Joaquín García, Lisandro Magallán, Leo Cristaldo and Elías Gómez in defense. Luca Feler, Lucas Robertone and Matías Arias rounded out the midfield, while Manuel Lanzini, Juan Cruz Policella and Ronaldo Martínez played up top, with Lanzini back in action following his return to the club.

A trial run with some names to watch

Beyond the final score, what's usually interesting about these FIFA-date friendlies lies in the details: who starts in the first eleven, who's getting minutes back after an injury, who's starting to earn a spot. With Driussi and Correa scoring and Beltrán adding another goal, River offers some clues about the attacking options Ponzio has to work with in the short term.

For Vélez, with Barros Schelotto still putting together his idea of a team, the friendly served as another real test of resistance against a top-tier opponent, with Policella and Arias showing they can chip in with goals even in matches of this kind.