River Plate continued their recent dominance, cruising to a 4-1 victory against fellow big club Velez Sarsfield at the Estadio Mas Monumental stadium. This victory placed River in second place in Group B, where they ended the group stage on 31 points. As a reward, they qualified for the round of 16 in the tournament. The game was played in a torrential downpour, but the loyal fans weren’t about to let the weather stop them from reveling in their team’s resounding victory.
No player did that more than Sebastian Driussi, who set the tone early by opening the scoring with a goal in the 14th minute. His goal not only rejuvenated the home fans, it placed River firmly in the driver’s seat. Only 14 minutes passed before Facundo Colidio let loose a gorgeous shot. By the 28th minute, he had managed to double the lead, making it 2-0. River’s momentum accelerated further when Ignacio Fernandez put in the third goal only five minutes later. He capitalized on an error by Velez goalkeeper Randall Rodriguez, who fumbled an effort from Mastantuono.
Match Highlights and Key Performances
Even with the difficult weather conditions in the second half, River Plate never lost their heads. The heavy rain did not dampen the spirits of the thousands of fans present, who cheered on their team relentlessly. Marcelo Gallardo, River’s head coach, expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance, particularly praising their first-half display.
“I really liked the first half, but then I think we didn’t settle into the game in the second,” – Marcelo Gallardo
Gallardo even admitted that Velez pressed harder in the second half, which created more problems for River. He really felt the strong first-half performance they put together earned them the win.
“What we did in the first half justified today’s win,” – Marcelo Gallardo
As the match neared its conclusion, Miguel Borja converted a penalty kick for River after Manuel Lanzini was fouled by Valentin Gomez. This unfortunate incident led to a conviction of River. The play resulted in Gomez being given a straight red card, which left Velez with only ten players on the field.
Looking Ahead
With this historic victory, River Plate will meet Barracas in the quarter-finals of the tournament. In the league proper Barracas ended up in 7th place in Group A. They will present a new test for River as River hopes to go deeper into the tournament.
Gallardo is happy with the game result. That satisfaction is further confirmation of a bright outlook for River Plate as they look ahead to their next match with Barracas. The team’s performance against Velez underlines their potential and resilience as they strive for success in the next phase of competition.
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