Boca Juniors make the short trip to El Monumental on Tuesday to face arch-rivals River Plate in the opening leg of their Copa Libertadores semifinal showdown. Two of South America’s most revered clubs will re-enact last season’s final in the penultimate phase, with defending champions River Plate under threat from a familiar foe.
River Plate vs. Boca Juniors
- When: Tuesday, October 1
- Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
- TV Channel: beIN SPORTS
- Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free)
Marcelo Gallardo led Los Millonarios to a 5-3 aggregate victory over Boca in last season’s final, the second leg of which was played in Madrid after River fans attacked the opposition team’s bus before kick-off.
Boca will be hankering for revenge in this competition with that controversy in mind, an attack that left players and staff alike hurt by broken glass and tear gas. One subtle victory for Gustavo Alfaro’s visitors before the game even gets underway is that they lead Argentina’s Superliga, while River currently sits off the pace in seventh. Boca hasn’t lost in eight matches preparing for this Buenos Aires battle, conceding just one goal during that stretch.
Their opponents have also looked defensively solid despite the fact they sit six places below Boca domestically. River was disappointed to lose, 2-1, to Velez Sarsfeld in its most recent home game, though those account for the only goals conceded in the last five outings.
The Blue and Gold have built something of an unwanted reputation for struggling against River in this derby of late, having now failed to clinch victory in their last six meetings. The two teams drew 0-0 when they met at El Monumental in the league on Sept. 1, their first goalless result in more than three years (nine meetings).
Neutrals will hope for a feistier affair when they collide in the Copa Libertadores, with the two teams poised to reconvene at La Bombonera for the second leg on October 23. The winner of this fixture will advance to face either Gremio or Flamengo in this season’s final.
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