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ESRiver was superior, but fell short in the penalty shootout
Martín Demichelis’ team put in a strong performance in the 90 minutes to beat Rosario Central in Córdoba, but the Rosario team secured a spot in the Professional Football League Cup final.
The initial minutes of the match saw Central pressing upfront and having a few attempts at Franco Armani’s goal. However, River began to take control of the game and create more dangerous situations, such as a deflected shot from Salomón Rondón after a series of rebounds in the box and a right-footed shot from Nico De La Cruz.
Meanwhile, the rival team threatened with an off-target header from Facundo Mallo after a set-piece. River was superior in the first half and deserved the lead at halftime; they had clear chances with a dangerous shot from De La Cruz, a free kick from Esequiel Barco that hit the crossbar, and several attacks from both flanks.
Before the 47th minute, Facundo Colidio broke free on the right after a tap from Salomón Rondón and unleashed a cross-shot that went wide. Then, Rondón tried a left-footed shot that went over the bar. In another good opportunity, River orchestrated a great team play that ended with a left-footed shot from De La Cruz, which went wide. Central responded with a shot from Jaminton Campaz.
Around the 65th minute, following an overlapping run by Campaz, Armani made a confident save by his right post. When Manuel Lanzini and Claudio Echeverri were brought on, River gained more presence and dynamism in the attack; De La Cruz took another shot from outside the box, narrowly missing the target. In one of the last plays, Sebastián Boselli unleashed a right-footed shot that narrowly missed Broun’s right post.
In the penalty shootout, the rival team secured a spot in the final and will now face Platense for the Professional League Cup.
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