River Plate beat Boca Juniors to claim fourth Copa Libertadores crown News

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River Plate beat Boca Juniors to claim fourth Copa Libertadores crown

By Daily Sports on December 10, 2018

River Plate claimed their fourth Copa Libertadores title, 5-3 on aggregate, after defeating Argentine rivals Boca Juniors in 3-1 in a pulsating second leg at the Bernabeu that went to extra time on Sunday.

In match that was postponed twice and ultimately moved to Madrid due to fan violence outside River’s Monumental Stadium, goals from Dario Benedetto and Lucas Pratto pushed the game to extra time, where Juan Quintero's sensational strike from distance and a late Gonzalo Martinez tally gave River a famous victory over their eternal rivals in the biggest edition of their “Superclasico” series yet.

Benedetto put Boca in front one minute before half-time with a super solo effort after collecting a threaded Nahitan Nandez through ball behind the River Plate back line – the striker taking a touch past the last defender and confidently beating goalkeeper Franco Armani with the inside of his right foot.

The strike made Benedetto just the second player ever to score in the first and second leg of the Copa Libertadores final and semifinals, joining Raul Vicente Amarilla, who accomplished the feat with Olimpia in the 1990 edition.

However, River answered Benedetto's opener in the 68th minute through fellow first-leg goalscorer Pratto, who coolly stroked home after a slick passing move down the right side found him unmarked in the middle of the Boca box.

Neither team could find a winner before the end of regulation and the game went to extra time, where Boca immediately went down to 10 men after Wilmar Barrios received a second yellow card for a strong challenge near midfield.

Boca managed to survive the first 15 minutes of extra time without conceding, but Quintero stepped up to play the hero early in the second period. After some quick passing at the top of the Boca box, the Colombia international settled and fired an unstoppable left-footed shot in off the underside of the crossbar to clinch the coveted crown for the Buenos Aires giants before Martinez added a last-second goal after Boca keeper Esteban Andrada had pushed into the Rover box in desperate search for an equaliser.

The Copa title pulls River even with fellow Argentine side Estudiantes with four, fourth-most in the competition’s history but still two fewer than Boca.

The victory also sends them to the FIFA Club World Cup later this month at the United Arab Emirates. (ESPN)

•Photo shows River Plate players

Source Daily Sports

Posted December 10, 2018