River Plate Rotate Four Stars Before Carabobo Vs River Plate
carabobo vs river plate arrives with first place on the line in Group H, as River Plate take a one-point lead into Thursday’s Matchday 4 meeting at the Polideportivo Misael Delgado Stadium in Valencia, Venezuela. The match can reshape the race for direct qualification to the Round of 16, and both clubs have allowed only one goal in three games.
Valencia Stakes
Carabobo start the day second on six points, one behind River Plate’s seven, so the gap is small but real. The Venezuelan side has beaten Bragantino 1-0 and Blooming 2-0 already, and its only loss in the tournament came against River Plate in Buenos Aires.
That makes this their final home match of the group stage before trips to Bolivia and Brazil. Daniel Farías has leaned on Edson Tortolero, Maurice Cova and Yohandry Orozco through the campaign, and another clean home result would keep the pressure on the group leaders.
Coudet’s Rotation
Eduardo Coudet has managed River Plate since March 2026, and the trip to Venezuela comes with a changed lineup. Gonzalo Montiel, Marcos Acuña and Facundo Colidio were rested, a sign that River are protecting legs even with top spot within reach.
River opened the campaign with a draw against Blooming in Bolivia, then followed with back-to-back 1-0 wins over Carabobo and Bragantino. Since Coudet’s arrival, the club has lost only one official match, and that run has put them in control of Group H heading into this fixture.
Broadcast And Group H
The match begins at 8:20 PM ET, and the broadcast is set to air live on beIN SPORTS. For viewers tracking the table, this is the clearest swing game in the group so far: Carabobo can pull level on points, while River Plate can strengthen the margin at the top with one more result.
Both teams have kept two clean sheets in the competition and have conceded only one goal across three matches, so a single mistake could decide the group. That is the edge Carabobo must chase at home and the cushion River Plate are trying to preserve while rotating key starters.
