Cerro Porteño faces San Lorenzo in a crucial match

The acid test for Bernay, who replaces his compatriot Miguel Ángel Russo, will be this Sunday against San Lorenzo, with his team 13 points behind Olimpia, the Clausura leader.

The versatility in the playing system and the involvement of all the players in both the attack and defense tasks are some of the indications that the Argentine coach has given to his team in his first 10 days in charge.

"We are working a lot on the football concept," said Bernay this Friday in the press conference after training.

The coach has had more preparation time thanks to the national team break to work on the tactical construction of the team in the final stretch of the season, in which they will only compete in the Clausura, after being eliminated in the Libertadores and the Copa Paraguay.

Bernay revealed that on Sunday, against San Lorenzo, he will test two different tactical schemes: a 4-1-3-2 led by a pair of forwards and a 4-3-3 that incorporates wingers on the flanks.

The coach is thus looking to build a team that is "proactive" in all aspects of the game and capable of adding "dynamism" to adapt to the conditions of their opponents.

"We can't leave anything to chance, but we do have to imprint the club's style and identity. That's what we're going to try to do on Sunday," he added.

The Argentine coach will announce tomorrow the lineup of 18 players for whom he has many doubts, as up to eight players have recently passed through the club's infirmary with different muscular injuries.

However, Bernay highlighted that the "progress is very good" in some of the cases, such as center-back Juan Patiño or full-back Santiago Arzamendia, who have already trained with the group this week.

Center-back Fernando Amorebieta, wingers Federico 'Pachi' Carrizo and Óscar Ruiz, and forward Sergio Díaz are some of the players who are doing separate work, according to the club's latest medical report.

After ten days of training, Bernay admitted that he has found a team of "high-level" footballers who are willing to "receive information to be able to execute a specific role and function" on the field.

"I am very satisfied with the expression, the dedication, the availability, and the sense of belonging they have shown, and I have a very strong conviction that we can have a great match," added the coach.

Cerro Porteño faces the challenge of making up a three-point difference with Libertad in the last nine matchdays of the local championship, as Libertad currently occupies the second position in the Apertura and Clausura accumulative table, which grants direct access to the 2020 Libertadores.

Bernay takes on the challenge after the departure of Russo, who left the helm just four months after being appointed and with a meager record of five wins, four losses, and four draws.