River Plate and Boca Rescued Draws with Different Feelings

River Plate at the Monumental

River Plate, under the direction of Eduardo Coudet, started the match with an advantage by scoring two goals in the first half. The first goal came from Ángel Correa’s finish after a long clearance by Lucas Martínez Quarta and a deflection off defender Thiago Silvero, following a good dribble by Joaquín Freitas. The second goal was sealed with a similar play, with Correa again at the center of the action. Despite the advantage, the team failed to hold it. Star signing Thiago Almada made a backward pass that allowed Diego Valdés, newly introduced for Vélez, to score the equalizer. Dylan Godoy also scored, and the match ended 2-2. Coudet delayed substitutions, first replacing Correa, who was in good form, and then Rafael Santos Borré, without reinforcing the midfield as needed. The result left River in 14th place in Zone B, with 4 points: one win, one draw, and four losses. The team is second‑to‑last in the zone and outside the playoff zone.

Boca in the classic

In the classic against Racing, Boca began with an advantage thanks to a penalty converted by Marcos Rojo. At minute 30, Miguel Merentiel equalized with an elegant finish, leaving the score at 1-1. Boca lost Leandro Paredes to injury, but had the entries of Sebastián Villa and Enner Valencia, who failed to score. The match showed that Boca, despite its position in Zone A, struggles to win. With 7 points in six rounds (one win, four draws, and one loss), the team sits in 10th place and also outside the playoff zone.

Table situation

Both giants are outside the playoff zone, but with different positions: River 14th with 4 points and Boca 10th with 7. The situation reflects the fragility of the teams with larger budgets in the Argentine league. While River faces doubts about Coudet’s continuity, Boca remains in the risk zone but shows hope thanks to youngsters like Tomás Aranda and Leonel Flores, and the Arruabarrena cycle.