River Plate Copa Libertadores Champions 2018

Follow River Plate's semi-final against Al Ain live at the Club World Cup.

River Plate 3-1 Boca Juniors: match report

It was the game that never wanted to end. And for Boca, they'll be wishing they could have prevented the way it did. River Plate, on the other hand will replaying the Copa Libertadores that took place in the Santiago Bernabeu forever.

Originally postponed twice, Real Madrid offered their stadium for the game and both sides didn't so much as accept their fate but travelled to Spain while they still argued over the venue.

Once CONMEBOL put their foot down, it became apparent that the biggest game in Agrentinian club football would be taking place many miles from the South American country where both of its competitors were from.

The game, once it kicked off, was as sloppy as the long days leading into it. Boca had better chances but you could always sense that if River Plate could find their footing, they wanted to play football and knew if they could turn it into a football match, they would win.

Boca had the two best chances of those opening rounds when Pablo Perez, the man whose injured eye went viral after he got glass in it from the original bus attack, was the benefactor who could not finish either of them. The captain swung his foot at the first chance at the back post but didn't make clean contact with Armani making a handy save.

Dario Benedetto's free was deflected into his patch shortly afterwards and he swiped at the ball again but it was deflected wide of the post.

A sloppy opening half was saved by Dario Bendetto and a lovely move, which saw him slot past Armani in River's goal. Seven passes, starting from the back, including one lovely defense splitting effort from Nandez, saw them take the lead with no chance for River to respond.

Boca had the lead and that was when it all went wrong for them.

They came out in the second half and forgot how to play football. Either that or they opted to sit and try to break up play but it didn't work for them.

River equalised when Pratto, who felt he should have had a penalty earlier when Andrada caught him late but the ref whistled for a high foot by the striker instead, was fed by Ignacio Fernandez and he slotted home with the keeper missing in action after going in search of the ball.

And now, the game that looked like it would never start, looked like it might never end.

In extra-time, however, Wilmar Barrios slid into Exequiel Palacios and they were reduced to 10 men at the start of that added 30.

They accepted at that stage that they would have to suffer to bring it to penalties but River Plate wanted it over before then. Second half substitute, Juan Quintero, made sure of it too as he drove a left-footed effort in off the crossbar and sent River fans into raptures.

It was a kitchen sink job for Boca for the last 10 minutes with keeper, Esteban Andrada, turning into a de facto outfield player complete with dribbles up the field and a couple of cameos into the opposing penalty area.

That was how the game would end though too when River broke and Gonzalo Martinez raced clear only to tap home in extra-time of extra-time. Amidst the commotion that came with the goal celebration, the referee blew his whistle and we finally had a winner to, arguably, the craziest game of football that almost never happened.

It wasn't ideal given the venue change and the horrible scenes outside of the Monumental two weeks ago but once the game got started, the two teams offered up a feisty, agricultural affair that fit the ham-fistedness of the organisation around it.

River Plate, the winners of the game neither side wanted the ignonimy of losing, won't mind how it transpired or where it was played with a few days of partying before they jet off to the Club World Cup in just a couple of weeks' time.

Most of the memories of what happened around the game will fade in time, but that win and the way they did it, will last forever.

River - Boca  live online: match updates and commentary

River Plate vs Boca Juniors live online: preview

After weeks of speculation about the venue and tension over taking the game out of Argentina, the Copa Libertadores is before us. With all that speculation came an opportunity to move the game to a presumed safer environment. And the Santiago Bernabeu will be the home of the biggest game in South American football and the biggest game, possibly, in Argentinian football history. Kick-off from Chamartín is at 20:30 CET. The police are on high alert as the two sets of fans descend on the stadium and we search for an end, finally, to the game of all games.

 For the 'home side', River Plate, former Atlético Madrid attacker Rafael Santos Borre will miss out due to suspension as the rojiblancos remain linked with a move back into the market for him. Meanwhile, Nicolas de la Cruaz remains out with an injury. Ignacio Scocco, Rodrigo Mora and Juan Quintero could all make it but will be game time decisions. 

Boca have less to worry about with Frank Fabre their only absentee and he has been out for some time with a February return date touted after a knee injury. Cristian Pavón is back after missing the last five league game in the Argentinian top flight too, which comes as a boost. They have their captain Pablo Perez back after his scare before the second leg, which was part of the reason why it was called off.