Declaring "El Millonario" the continent's best.
The first minutes of the match were highly disputed in the center of the field. River was the first to make an approach, with two stop ball situations that were not taken advantage of. Then, Boca Juniors had a clear situation, with a very good save from Franco Armani to Pablo Pérez, after a rebound.
River responded with a well prepared play from a corner kick that Nacho Fernández fired high into the penalty area. The rival team returned to being at a favorable situation after a free shot by Dario Benedetto that belonged to Pérez, but Milton Casco managed to buffer the midfielder's shot.
Armani appeared once again to deactivate a center from Sebastian Villa's right. Near the end, River could have taken advantage after a mistake by Esteban Andrada, but at the end of that play, Benedetto had a one on one with River's goalkeeper for the opening of the scoreboard.
In the second half, River came out determined in search of the equalizer, but had difficulty getting close to Andrada's goal. Jonatan Maidana's header went high and Nacho Fernandez tried from afar (very close to the rival left post).
Exequiel Palacios also tried from outside and then came a polemic situation: Andrada headed front, colliding with Pratto in the area, but the referee charged infraction in attack. The equalizer came after a great collective maneuver between Nacho Fernandez and Palacios, for Pratto to finish with a free goal.
After 90 minutes, the game continued with a supplementary. River became even more owner of the match and even more so after Wilmar Barrios' dismissal. After the first 15 minutes, which "El Millonario" dominated, came the relief, with a goal from a different planet made by Juan Quintero: left-footed at an angle, for the 2-1.
River was in control of the game, but could not define it. Having to wait until the final moments, in a corner shot, in which "El Pity Martinez" crossed more than half of the field with the ball, and then with a soft touch scored the 3-1 for River winning the Copa Libertadores, no less than against their ultimate rival.
SYNTHESIS
RIVER PLATE: Franco Armani; Gonzalo Montiel, Jonatan Maidana, Javier Pinola, Milton Casco; Enzo Pérez, Leonardo Ponzio (C), Ignacio Fernández, Exequiel Palacios; Gonzalo Martínez and Lucas Pratto. DT: Marcelo Gallardo.
Substitutes: Germán Lux, Lucas Martínez Quarta, Camilo Mayada, Bruno Zuculini, Juan Quintero, Rodrigo Mora and Julián Álvarez.
Changes: Quintero for Ponzio, Mayada for Montiel, Álvarez for Palacios, Zuculini for Fernández.
BOCA JUNIORS: Esteban Andrada; Julio Buffarini, Carlos Izquierdoz, Lisandro Magallán, Lucas Olaza; Nahitan Nández, Wilmar Barrios, Pablo Pérez (C); Cristian Pavón, Sebastián Villa and Darío Benedetto. DT: Guillermo Barros Schelotto.
Substitutes: Agustín Rossi, Paolo Goltz, Leonardo Jara, Fernando Gago, Ramón Ábila, Carlos Tevez and Mauro Zárate.
Changes: Ábila for Benedetto, Gago for Pérez, Jara for Villa, Tevez for Buffarini.
Goals: Pratto, Quintero, Martínez (RP); Benedetto (BJ).
Admonished: Ponzio, Fernández, Maidana, Casco (RP); Pérez, Barrios, Tevez (BJ).
Expelled: Barrios (BJ).
Referee: Andrés Cunha (Uruguay).
Attendees: Nicolás Tarán and Mauricio Espinosa (Uruguay).
Fourth referee: Víctor Carrillo (Peru).
VAR: Leodán González (Uruguay).
AVAR 1: Esteban Ostojich (Uruguay).
AVAR 2: Richard Trinidad (Uruguay).