River Plate lost two points in the sixth matchday of the Clausura after drawing 2-2 with Vélez Sarsfield. The match, played at Estadio José Amalfitani, started with a 2-0 advantage for the Millonarios, but an error by Thiago Almada in the added time allowed Vélez to equalize. The result left River with four points, second-to-last in zone A, just above Aldosivi, which has two points. In the annual table, the club is in the eleventh position, outside qualification for international competitions.
River had won 2-0 against Argentinos Juniors in the fifth matchday, and had drawn 0-0 in the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana round of 16 against Independiente Santa Fe in Colombia. The loss to Vélez adds to the team's irregular performance this season. With the result, the club is four points behind Tigre, the last team entering the playoffs, and four behind the B zone.
River's performance contrasts with the position of Independiente Rivadavia, which leads the annual table with 42 points, and with the positions of Boca and Racing in zone A. Boca, with 37 points, is sixth and qualified for the Sudamericana, while Racing has 22 points and sits in 22nd place. San Lorenzo, on the other hand, has seven points in zone A and is nineteenth in the general table.
Thiago Almada's error, which occurred in added time, was decisive for the result. The Millonarios had started the match with authority, but the lack of concentration allowed Vélez to win the draw. With the defeat, River faces the need to improve its performance if it wants to compete for playoffs and international competitions.
The sixth matchday of the Clausura will finish this Monday with three matches: Tigre - Central Córdoba; Lanús - Argentinos and Talleres - Rosario Central. River will need to take advantage of these dates to recover points and improve its position in the annual table.
