River Plate players celebrate a goal in the stadium while a coach appears in a circle at the center of the image.
ARGENTINA

Marcelo Gallardo celebrated Lencina's outstanding moment and appreciated the team's growth.

After the 4-0 win against Instituto, River's head coach praised the young player after his two goals, discussed the transfer market, and called for patience with the younger players

After River's resounding 4-0 victory over Instituto in a Kempes with two sets of fans, Marcelo Gallardo analyzed his team's performance in a press conference. Although the focus was on the collective play, the coach especially paused to highlight the name of the night: Santiago Lencina, who scored two goals and was chosen as the man of the match.

"I'm very happy for him. He had been showing qualities for some time, now he gets the chance to play, he has the confidence. The fact that he capped a good match with two goals is good for him and for us as a team," explained Muñeco, who also celebrated the opportunity to give minutes to the young players: "It's good for them to grow up with an experienced squad and the support of the coaching staff."

Soccer player wearing River Plate’s black and red uniform running on the field during a match
Lencina was one of River's standout players | La Derecha Diario

Regarding the development of the match, Gallardo did not hesitate to highlight the team's performance: "It's never easy to win in Argentine soccer, nobody finds it comfortable. Although we won by a wide margin, it wasn't easy at the start. It took us a while to settle into the match until we found ourselves. We were better in the second half, we had what we didn't have in the first. It was a good match."

One of the striking points of the conversation with the press was when he was asked about Bautista Dadín, who has not yet made his debut in the first team but already has a release clause of 100 million euros. Gallardo downplayed expectations: "The clause is a method the club is using to support us, butthis shouldn't confuse the player or the fans. He's a kid. When I feel he should play, he will."

Young man signing a contract in an office with a River Plate jersey on the table
Dadin has a 100 million euro release clause | La Derecha Diario

Regarding the transfer market, he confirmed that Juan Fernando Quintero has already been made official and will soon join the group: "He's well trained, but he lacks match rhythm because he's been training on his own for a month. As he gets more minutes, we'll see how many he's ready for."

A smiling man holds a white soccer jersey with a red stripe and the number 10 in an empty stadium.
Quintero needs to get into rhythm | La Derecha Diario

He also referred to the cases of Juan Portillo andMatías Galarza Fonda, whose arrivals are progressing: "Some details are missing, which will be solved in the next few hours. There's a willingness for that to happen."

Two players wearing Talleres de Córdoba uniforms in action during a match
According to Gallardo, only a few details remain for the arrivals of Portillo and Galarza Fonda | La Derecha Diario

About Portillo, he emphasized: "I like his versatility. He can play as a center back, full back, or midfielder. He'll give us many options for rotation."

Gallardo acknowledged that he is satisfied with the squad's composition, but he did not rule out further moves in the remaining days of the window: "We'll see from now until the end if some matters continue to move regarding departures. I'm happy with the opportunities we had in this market."

What's next for River

With the goal of maintaining its good footballing momentum, the Millonario will host San Lorenzo on Sunday, July 27 at 8:45 p.m. at the Monumental for the Torneo Clausura.

River Plate and San Lorenzo crests on red and blue backgrounds, respectively
River will host San Lorenzo on matchday three of the Clausura | La Derecha Diario

A week later, on Saturday, August 2, it will face San Martín de Tucumán in the round of 32 of the Copa Argentina.

➡️ Argentina

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