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ESRIVER WINS THE SUPERCLÁSICO Marcelo Gallardo’s team secured a well-earned 1-0 win against Boca Juniors away from home, with a goal from Manu Lanzini. Next Tuesday, River will look to secure a spot in the CONMEBOL Libertadores semifinals.
River tried to take control in the opening minutes of the match, which became very balanced and fiercely contested in the midfield. The first opportunity was for Enzo Díaz, who couldn’t capitalize on a good counterattack down the left flank; on the rebound, Nicolás Fonseca took a well-aimed shot from outside the box, but it deflected off a rival defender. In another play on the right side, Fabricio Bustos had a chance as well.
Following a long clearance by Franco Armani, Manuel Lanzini recovered the ball in Boca’s half and passed it to Facundo Colidio: number 11 feinted past Cristian Lema and struck a powerful left-footed shot that was saved by Sergio Romero. On the rebound, River’s number 10 gave Gallardo’s team the deserved lead. Armani was barely troubled by the home team, except for a great save against Miguel Merentiel in a play that was ruled offside. River had two clear opportunities through Colidio to extend the lead before halftime.
The second half mirrored the first 45 minutes, featuring lots of contact and confrontations. Although River had more possession and played in the opponent’s half, the team couldn’t create clear chances. In an isolated play, Armani was very quick to intercept a clear opportunity for Boca. Luis Advíncula from the home side also unleashed a left-footed shot at the edge of the box that struck the crossbar.
In the closing minutes, River controlled the game well, crafting effective attacks through Miguel Borja and Franco Mastantuono, and nearly scored a second goal. This great victory is River’s second consecutive win in the league and has helped the team move up in the LPF standings. On Tuesday, River will face Colo-Colo at the Mâs Monumental stadium in the CONMEBOL Libertadores quarterfinals, following the 1-1 draw in Chile.
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