A logical formation, which had worked for him a few days ago against Pincha and which began to show some positive signs also in Paraná. The Muñeco team took control of the game and had the best scoring actions, at least in the first thirty minutes.
From the outset, the Millionaire only warned through a stopped ball: after 2 minutes, Juanfer executed the corner from the left, Nico De La Cruz combed the near post and Solari appeared for the second to also define with a header. The former Colo Colo arrived somewhat out of place and his definition ended up going over the crossbar, but it was a warning of what was to come a few minutes later, also from the stopped ball and with Quintero as the protagonist.
Núñez’s men monopolized the ball and controlled the game in that frenetic start, in which Patronato proposed a physical game to recover the ball and get out quickly against. He couldn’t do it because the ball passed through Juanfer, De La Cruz and Palavecino, and from there River imposed superiority.
The one who was closest to opening the scoring was again Pablo Solari in a play that asked for a back pass: the winger overflowed down the left flank, reached the bottom, hooked for his most skillful leg and dazzled himself with the goal. His shot hit the outside of the net. It was one of the clearest.
As the minutes passed, the game began to enter a kind of plateau. River lowered the intensity a bit, lost some control and Patronato began to cheer up. He won several corner kicks and Quintana prevailed there, a specialist when it comes to heading everything they throw at him. Although he managed to impose his height and his good aerial game in a couple of maneuvers, he made it somewhat awkward and directionless.
River was also animated from the stopped ball and from Juanfer Quintero’s strike it was very close to opening the scoring, when at 28 minutes he threw a poisonous center that fell in the heart of the area. Giani managed to comb the ball, but his header hit the crossbar. It was the clearest for the Muñeco team, which at that point already deserved the advantage.
However, in the final minutes of the first stage, the game became even. Board of Trustees began to find some spaces in the bottom of River and it was thus that the former River
Sebastián Medina gained speed, got into the area and when he felt Paulo Díaz’s hand he dove into the area. Loustau first took a free kick outside the area, but the VAR corrected it and ended up sanctioning a penalty. Beyond the controversy, Franco Armani became a giant and flew to the right to cover Giani’s penalty. This is how the first stage went, with the great save of the Octopus and with the sensation that the Millionaire had lowered his performance.
At the beginning of the complement, the local team seemed to enter better trodden. After 5 minutes and after a miscalculation by Paulo Díaz, Estigarribia was facing the goal but ran into Armani, which was again decisive to cover the Paraguayan striker’s right. It was an uncertain start for the Muñeco team, which at halftime was forced to take out Enzo Pérez due to an ankle problem and put on Barco. Thus, De La Cruz went on to play as a central midfielder.
River’s awakening came a couple of minutes later, again from the feet of Juan Fernando Quintero, who scored a fantastic clearance for Miguel Borja. The Colombian took some more time to define, made a feint and put the ball against Altamirano’s right post. A great goal from the former Junior from Barranquilla, who in the first half had received a challenge from his compatriot for not heading after a change of front that left him alone with the goalkeeper.
FORMATIONS
RIVER PLATE (4-3-1-2): 1-Franco Armani; 15-Andrew Herrera, 23-Emanuel Mammana, 17-Paulo Diaz, 20-Milton Helmet; 8-Agustin Palavecino, 24-Enzo Perez, 11-Nicolas De La Cruz; 10-John Fernando Quintero; 16-Pablo Solari and 9-Miguel Borja. DT: Marcel Gallardo.
Substitutes: 33. Ezekiel Centurion, 4. Jonathan Maidana, 14. Leandro Gonzalez Perez, 22. Javier Pinola, 6. David Martinez, 29. Elias Gomez, 32. Thomas Pochettino, 26. Jose Paradela, 7. Matthias Suarez and 21. Ezequiel Barco . . . .
BOARD OF TRUSTEES (4-4-2): 20-Facundo Altamirano; 22-Raul Lozano, 13-Sergio Ojeda, 2-Carlos Quintana, 30-Lucas Kruspzky; 40-Justo Giani, 6-Tiago Banega, 7-Nicolas Castro, 21-Sebastian Medina; 9-Jonathan Herrera and 19-Marcelo Estigarribia. DT: Facundo Sava.
Substitutes: 34. Matthias Mansilla, 4. Lautaro Geminiani, 5. Leonel Monsevich, 27. Juan Guasone, 28. Facundo Cobos, 8. Jonas Acevedo, 32. Franco Leys, 10. Jorge Valdez Chamorro, 11. Matthias Pardo, 16. Juan Barinaga , 40-Axel Rodriguez and 89-Alexander Sosa.
MATCH DATA
Hour: 20.30
Estadio: Elder Bartolomé Grella (Paraná)
Referee: Patricio Loustau
Assistants: Diego Bonfa and Maximiliano Del Yesso
Fourth referee: Maximilian Ramirez
WAS: Mauro Vigliano
AVAR: Pablo Dovalo
TV: ESPN Premium
