Fernando Romero Nuñez Boca Juniors suffered a drawn-out Superclásico defeat on its home turf on Saturday afternoon as archrival River survived a close VAR call to win the most important fixture in Argentine football 1-0. It’s the second time the Millonario has walked away from the iconic La Bombonera stadium with a win within the past year.
The stage was set for a tense affair before kickoff. After a Copa Sudamericana elimination and a loss to Racing Club, Boca had a lot more to lose coming into the game. Already called into question by fans, coach Diego Martínez was forced to rush the return of star striker Edinson Cavani, who had been out for a month and missed the five previous games.
Meanwhile, River was still riding high following the return of legendary coach Marcelo Gallardo, but struggling to uphold its local league games with its Copa Libertadores commitments, where a 1-1 tie with Chile’s Colo Colo left them with a lot to do at home in the second leg of their quarter-final clash.
Like most Superclásicos, the game got very rough, very early — more a physical contest than a football match. After just nine seconds, River defender Federico Gattoni earned the dubious honor of getting the quickest yellow card in the history of the Boca-River rivalry, penalized for a double-handed push on Cavani.
In the first 15 minutes, both teams had chances, with the game played at a frantic pace. However, Gallardo’s team slowly took control of the game, as its three-man midfield allowed them to gain control of the middle of the pitch, and then launch fullbacks Enzo Díaz and Fabricio Bustos forward, overwhelming Boca’s defense.
Midfielder Manuel Lanzini beat Boca’s Ignacio Miramón to a deflection, put a pass forward for striker Facundo Colidio, and then was quick enough on the follow-up to tap in the ball from Xeneize goalkeeper Sergio Romero’s save.
After securing the lead, River defended deeper, forcing a Boca team pressured by the home fans’ angry chants to push forward for the tie. However, the Xeneize lacked clarity on the attack and at times the rush led to unforced errors that created more goal opportunities for River, but the score remained 1-0 at halftime.
The second half proved a very similar affair. The introduction of Exequiel “Changuito” Zeballos — subbed in for Ignacio Miramon at halftime — gave Boca wings. The forward became a skillful channel for the Xeneize’s attack and caused trouble for the River. But he was unable to break the Millonario defense on his own.
As Boca pushed harder, River’s counterattacks also became increasingly dangerous, with Colombian striker Miguel Borja wasting several clear goal-scoring chances. Two instances of bad ball control inside the Boca box and a wayward shot cost him late in the second half.
In the seventh minute of added time, the Xeneize had its clearest chance to tie the game, as striker Milton Giménez slipped past the River defense to tap in a cross. However, it was disallowed five minutes later, ruled as a handball after referee Nicolás Ramírez reviewed the call with the VAR, after which he blew the whistle for full-time.
The tense atmosphere finally exploded after the game ended, when Romero jumped over the fences, angry at fans who were insulting the players. The goalkeeper was dragged off into the dressing rooms but the turmoil continued as fans continued to fight amongst themselves.The win, the first landmark of Gallardo’s second stint with River after four draws in his first five Liga Profesional games, shrinks Boca’s lead in the head-to-head tally, now sitting at 92 Xeneize wins to 87 for the Millonario.
