EN
ESRiver Defeated Emelec And Is The Only Leader of Its Group In the Monumental, it defeated the Ecuadorian team by 2-1 and is one victory away from qualifying to the round of 16. Lucas Pratto and Gonzalo Martínez scored the goals for El Millonario.
This Thursday, a Monumental packed with fans relived one of its glory nights of the CONMEBOL Libertadores Cup. On the fourth date of Group D, River received Emelec, from Ecuador, and defeated it by 2-1 with goals by Lucas Pratto and Gonzalo Martínez for the local team, and one by Ayrton Preciado for the visitor.
During the first half, River owned the ball and kept trying to open the score, although it struggled to go deep and to flow in the last meters. However, it had good chances that could have ended in a goal. When the match was starting, Pratto received the ball in the area, he took advantage of his power to loose his mark, and kicked it low, but the goalkeeper stopped the ball almost inside the goal. Later, a nice free shot by Rodrigo Mora barely passed by Dreer’s right post.
With Quintero and Borré in the field during the second half, Gallardo wanted to give other variables to the attack of his team, and he found them, especially with Juanfer. After a good pass by the Colombian midfielder, Pratto scored the first goal of the night. At minute 20 of the second half, Juanfer’s assisted Pratto with a left shot. He then kicked it with his right to the first post, it defeated the goalkeeper’s attempt to block it and thus the Monumental exploded in one shout.
With that advantage, River kept searching and taking the match to Ecuadorian field until, at minute 28, it resolved the match with a second goal. After a great recovery in the center of the field, Pratto initiated the counterattack and set up Gonzalo Martínez. Pity dodged the last defense and, in a one-on-one with the goalkeeper, he resolved it with a brilliant and soft play, he chipped the goalkeeper and scored.
Despite Preciado’s goal in the additional time, that ended Armani’s record of 620 minutes without receiving goals, El Millonario closed the match with a great victory that places it on top of its group with 8 points, two more than Flamingo and four more than Independiente Santa Fe, while Emelec is lower with only one point. In the final stage of the group phase, River will visit the Colombian team on May 3rd, and it will receive Flamengo on the 23rd searching a place in the round of 16.
SUMMARY
RIVER PLATE: Franco Armani; Gonzalo Montiel, Jonatan Maidana, Javier Pinola, Marcelo Saracchi; Enzo Pérez, Leonardo Ponzio (C), Ignacio Fernández, Gonzalo Martínez; Rodrigo Mora and Lucas Pratto. COACH: Marcelo Gallardo.
Substitutes: Germán Lux, Lucas Martínez Quarta, Bruno Zuculini, Exequiel Palacios, Juan Quintero, Ignacio Scocco, Rafael Borré.
Substitutions: Borré for Mora, Quintero for Fernández, Palacios for Pratto.
EMELEC: Esteban Dreer (C); Juan Carlos Paredes, Fernando Pinillo, Malon Mejía, Oscar Bagüí, Pedro Quiñónez, Dixon Arroyo, Robert Burbano, Fernando Luna, Ayrton Preciado, Marlon De Jesús. COACH: Alfredo Arias.
Substitutes: Adrián Bone, Jordan Jaime, Romario Caicedo, Osbaldo Lastra, Marcos Mondaini, Estéfano Arango, Brayan Angulo.
Substitutions: Lastra for Luna, Caicedo for Quiñónez, Angulo for Burbano.
Goals: Pratto, Martínez (RIV); Preciado (EME)
Booked: Pérez (RIV); Luna (EME)
Referee: Víctor Hugo Carrillo (Peru)
Assistant Referees: Jonny Bossio and Víctor Raez (Peru)
Fourth Official: Miguel Santivañez (Peru)
- Tags
- First Team
