Marcelo Gallardo is in a privileged position, and deservedly so. The coach's incredible exploits during his first spell with River make him all but untouchable in the hot seat – a luxury not usually afforded in that most volatile of professions. But almost a year after his triumphal return to the Monumental, Gallardo and River cannot help but be concerned at how the team is performing, a pale shadow of the trophy-winning machine of 2014-2022.
The Monumental crowd endured another frustrating evening on Tuesday as River were held 0-0 by Barcelona in their home Libertadores match, their flat mood contrasting with the spectacular baby-pink suit the ever-debonair Segundo Castillo donned to lead out the Ecuadoreans. It was the second setback in the space of three days, after being held by Sarmiento at the weekend. The Millonarios came closest to winning and really should have gone ahead when Sebastián Driussi had the chance to net from the penalty spot but the forward saw his first-half effort saved, summing up neatly the ongoing woes River have had in front of goal ever since Gallardo walked back through the doors.
“This result hurts and we are disappointed,” the coach lamented to reporters after the final whistle. “Those players who are at a low ebb need to pick themselves up, that's all there is to it. We created some great chances around the net and couldn't convert. That will start to change. We will work hard to make better decisions and get the net to open up for us a bit.”
If it were just a case of a bad night at the office for the River frontline it would be easier to digest. They do happen, after all; indeed, River's unforgettable Libertadores triumph of 2018 started with a distinctly forgettable home draw with Flamengo. But the overall trend for Gallardo's men suggests this result is no anomaly. For all the millions River have spent to furnish ‘El Muñeco’ with a star-studded squad worthy of his reputation at the club, and the dominance they often show on the pitch, all too frequently they are coming away with nothing to show for it.
Tuesday's stalemate, for instance, was the sixth time River have drawn a blank in 2025. They have drawn three of their last four games, the only win coming in Lima with last week's narrow, laboured victory over Universitario. Most damning of all, in 17 competitive games so far this year the Millonario have scored more than one goal on just four occasions, one of those a lopsided Copa Argentina tie against minnows Bolívar. Their top scorers this season are Miguel Borja and Facundo Colidio, with a combined six goals in 29 games – a slim return indeed when held up against in-form goalscorers elsewhere like Racing's Adrián Martínez, with nine in 12, or Gabriel Ávalos who has netted six goals to help Independiente to the top of their Liga Profesional de Fútbol group. With a current average of 0.88 goals per game, the last time the Millonario were this ineffective offensively was their relegation season of 2011.
Things are obviously not quite so catastrophic this time round, with River unbeaten in the Libertadores and cruising into the Liga play-offs on the back of a formidable rearguard and Franco Armani's ongoing determination to beat Father Time between the posts. But to beat the best in South American you need goals, and the longer the Millonario remain in this dry patch the harder it will get to compete for that third Copa Gallardo so dearly craves.
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