Boca goes up 1-0 against River with title in sight

Boca Juniors leads 1-0 against River Plate in a new chapter of their rivalry on this Sunday’s Superclásico.

The match started as a fairly even affair but changed dramatically after just seven minutes. River defender Lucas Martínez Quarta tackled Boca attacker Miguel Merentiel as he was running head-on to the goal. 

The action initially went unpunished by referee Nicolás Ramírez, but later he was summoned to review a potential red card by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR). Upon reviewing it, Ramírez sent Martínez Quarta off, leaving the Millonarios with ten men.

The incident prompted Boca to take control of the game, although they struggled to make waves. That all changed at the 27th minute, when Colombian forward Sebastián Villa put in a cross from a corner kick and defender Lautaro Di Lollo sneaked past the River defense on the far post to head in the opening goal.

A superclásico with a lot at stake There’s a lot at stake in this Superclásico.

At home in the iconic La Bombonera, Boca is looking to retake the lead in the Annual Table and extend its current winning streak. Meanwhile, River aims to regain ground and keep its 2027 Copa Libertadores hopes alive.

The Superclásico sees six Qatar 2022 World Cup champions on the field.

For Boca, team captain Leandro Paredes is back in the starting eleven, returning after his lightning-quick recovery from a muscle tear that saw him back in record time to feature as a substitute in the Copa Sudamericana against Vasco da Gama.

He’s joined by Colombia’s Álvaro Montero in goal and a back four defense of Leandro Lozano, Di Lollo, Facundo Herrera, and Lautaro Blanco. 

In the middle, Santiago Ascacibar and Milton Delgado are alongside Paredes, with Villa, Leonel Flores, and Merentiel in the attack.

River head coach Leonardo Ponzio went out with goalkeeper Santiago Beltrán, shielded by three-quarters of the Qatar 2022 winners’ defense ahead of him, with Gonzalo Montiel, Nicolás Otamendi, and Marcos Acuña lined up alongside Martínez Quarta.

In the middle, former Vélez Sarsfield wonderkid Tobías Andrada plays alongside Lucas Silva and Tomás Galván, with two more 2022 World Cup stars, Thiago Almada and Ángel Correa, behind lone striker Lucas Beltrán.