"I always like to compete," Federico Rasmussen believes in the path Godoy Cruz is taking.

Tomba is preparing for its final battle in the Professional League 's Apertura tournament. Next Saturday, it will visit the tough Deportivo Riestra in the Villa Soldati neighborhood. It must win to secure a place among the top eight and advance to the next round.

Esteban Solari's team is coming off a narrow victory over Atlético Tucumán at the Malvinas Argentinas stadium, where they earned their first home win of the season. One of the key players against Decano was center back Federico Rasmussen, who returned to the starting lineup and was a defensive powerhouse in the match that saw Godoy Cruz beat Decano and move them into the qualifying zone in the Professional League.

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RAMIRO GOMEZ (LOS ANDES).

With a win to be expected, Bodeguero will have a tough closing stage against Malevo, who have gone 19 matches without defeat at their Guillermo Laza stadium.

Without a doubt, Tomba's participation in the Copa Sudamericana allowed him to settle in a bit after the thrashing he suffered in Avellaneda, and it allowed him to regain confidence and perform well.

Regarding this topic, the defender said: "We got off to a good start with the Cup and it helped us a lot. The local tournament is very different; the game is played differently, and no one gives you anything. Against Tucumán, we struggled to sustain our game in the second half, but the important thing is that we came back to winning ways, we were able to keep a clean sheet, and we're already in the mix for qualification. Now everything depends solely and exclusively on us," he noted.

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In the match against Decano, during the second half, Rasmussen had a strong reaction toward his teammates, calling them out when the team began to slip. Regarding the incident, he confided: "There was a moment when I felt like we were falling behind and needed to get moving more, and, well... I'm just born like that!" he said with a smile, adding: "I always like to compete, in training, in games, I'm the same everywhere. The important thing is that we managed to get a win, something we've been aiming for for a while. We can't expect to qualify without winning a home game," the player clarified.

Finishing first in the first phase of the Sudamericana and now being among the top eight in Group B speaks to the squad's recovery after some moments of uncertainty. Rasmussen emphasized: "We are convinced of the path we are on, where everything that has happened to us is normal. Processes aren't built overnight, and I think we're on the right track. We hope to finish this part of the tournament in the best possible way," said the Buenos Aires center back.

El Expreso is in 8th place and this Saturday, starting at 4 p.m., will face Deportivo Riestra, who is in 6th. It is a key match for qualification.