Key keywords: Eduardo Coudet, Javier Correa, River Plate, Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata, La Plata away fixture, Argentine Primera Division, attacking midfield role, 2024 Liga Profesional, tactical lineup, Juan Carmelo Zerillo Stadium River Plate manager Eduardo Coudet has officially confirmed the specialized tactical role assigned to attacker Javier Correa for the club’s upcoming Argentine Primera Division away fixture against Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata, scheduled to take place at the historic Juan Carmelo Zerillo Stadium in La Plata next weekend. The announcement ends weeks of speculation among fans and football analysts over how Coudet would adjust his starting lineup to counter Gimnasia’s well-documented home defensive structure, which has conceded just 2 goals in their last 5 home matches across all competitions. Correa, who has spent the majority of his senior career deployed as a central striker or left winger, will slot into the attacking midfield (number 10) role for the high-stakes clash, a position Coudet first tested during closed-door inter-squad scrimmages and a recent friendly against a lower-league side earlier this month. Across those test runs, Correa notched 4 assists and 2 goals from the deeper attacking position, showcasing his underrated passing range, spatial awareness, and ability to draw opposing defenders out of position to create space for River’s front line. “We’ve been evaluating this shift for Javier for nearly a month, and we’re confident it’s the right fit for what we need to get a result in La Plata,” Coudet shared during his pre-match press conference on Tuesday. “Gimnasia drops into an extremely low block when they defend home matches, and we need a player between our midfield and forward line who can pick out the small gaps, play quick one-twos, and take long-range shots when the opportunity opens up. Javier fits that description perfectly, and he’s put in the work in training to get comfortable with the responsibilities of the role.” River currently sits second in the 2024 Liga Profesional table, 3 points behind leaders Boca Juniors with 7 matches remaining in the season, making every point from upcoming fixtures critical to their title challenge. Gimnasia, meanwhile, sits 12th in the table but has earned 12 of their 18 total points this season at their La Plata home ground, with a physical midfield unit that has frustrated many of the league’s top playmakers so far this year. Coudet also noted that Correa’s experience playing against Gimnasia earlier in his career, when he scored 3 goals in 5 matches against the La Plata side for Racing Club, was another factor in the decision to give him the key attacking midfield role for the fixture. The club has confirmed Correa will start the match barring any last-minute injury in final training sessions.