Boca Juniors 1-0 River Plate: Superclasico summary: score, goals, highlights

A poor game and not a great advertisement for the Argentine game where free flowing football was conspicuous by its absence as a Dario Benedetto header secured the win for Boca in a game neither side deserved to win.

Ten yellow cards and one red at the end tells its own story as the side from La Boca close ground on Atletico Tucuman at the top of the table.

10/10 as always for the La Bombera crowd who were immense throughout the entire game with non stop noise and chants. 

That's it...Boca win to the delight of he 54,000 fans at La Bombonera....

Rojo is awarded a straight red and Boca are down to ten for the final minute or so... a really high foot from the former United player.

Molinas almost makes it 2-0 but Armani was alert to avert the danger.

Pinola carded too...

Decent strike from Palavecino but the striker's effort drifts inches wide. Difficult to see River creating as good a chance again.

Corner for River as the clock ticks down.... 

Borja now carded for River. Looked innocuous. 

We'll have 7 minutes of stoppage time

River working the ball patiently from side to side but there is no way through he blue and yellow wall.

Another stoppage as Varela is getting treated.

Vazquez hardly on the pitch for five minutes and the sub already picks up a yellow card.

Into the final five minutes of normal time and the home fans up the tempo in their non stop chants as they sense that they are close to securing the bagging rights in the 2022 Superclasico.

Boca defending for their lives now as River look to salvage something from the game. 

More changes, Boca switch as Dario Benedetto leaves the action and is replaced by Vazquez.

Fernandez too leaves with Molinas his replacement

Fine work from Boca as Fabra finds Benedetto and the goal scorer taps back to Fernandez who blazes the ball well over the bar.

Time running out for River and to be honest, Gallardo's side have offered little and seem to be happy to loft long 'hit and hope' type balls deep into the opposition half.

Boca subs

On: Medina and Zambrano

Off: Ramirez and Payero

Aliendro was the River player on the receiving end of the blow...He's replaced by Beltran.

Another card as Ramirez is the fifth Boca man to be awarded a yellow

Another stoppage as the River medics need to attend to a player who seems to have picked up a nasty knock. 

All of a sudden, the game has come alive as River now ratch up the urgency levels.

The game gets a goal it so desperately needed ...slightly against the run of play ? The 54,000 Boca fans don't care!

Finally some football as Fernandez strikes on the volley and Armani saves 

And another one... Fernandez (Boca) carded for a pull on a rival player.

More cards... Advincula (Boca) and Casco (River) also into the book as tempers start to fray now....

Whistle sounding every 30 seconds now with very, very little flow to the game

De la Cruz on the ground again and this time its Rojo who gets carded. A shocker of a challenge from the former Man United man!

Diaz now carded for River... Will we see 22 players on the pitch at the end of the game?

Another delay now as Rojo needs attention to what looks like an ankle problem.

Play resumes and surprisingly no card issued ! Fernandez (Boca) is lucky to have gotten away with that !

De la Cruz goes to ground and it certainly looks like the River man was clipped with the ball well away from the action.

VAR to be consulted .... a card, red even could be branded here !

River have started with a positive attitude as niggly fouls now interrupt the tempo of the game

River changes:

Off: Solari, Quintero and Herrera

On: Aliendro, Borja and Barco

Off we go ... River start the second half.

Looks like a few changes for River set to be made at the break.

The sides make their return to La Bombonera pitch with River out first.

Argentine 1a Division: live table

This is how things look currently at the top of the table with Boca and River drawing 0-0.

To be brutally honest, very little of the 'Super' in tonight's meeting between Boca and River to date. 

A great atmosphere but the quality of the pitch failing to live up to the hype that surrounds the biggest game in South American football.  

Boca have had more of the ball but Armani has yet to be tested. The best chance of the evening fell to River where Rossi was on hand to save well after a headed effort.

The whistle sounds and it's all square at the break....

Looks like we'll have just one more minute of added time.

Last minute of the half.... 

Fabra is also carded too for a lazy challenge as he collides into a River player. Kicking the ball away did little to affect the decison.

First card of the night goes to De La Cruz as the River man commits a 'tactical foul' in breaking up a Boca counter.

A draw for either side really doesn't suit either side with Atletico Tucuman still holding a 4 points advantage over Boca and River with the matchdays counting down... This is 18 of 26.

Tucuman drew with San Lorenzo yesterday.

Both teams just lacking some composure with the final ball. We've seen some decent build up play but the quality for the last pass is lacking.

We've passed the half hour mark in the Superclasico and the game has yet to really spark into life.... It's simmered at times without really hitting boiling point.

The atmosphere at La Bombonera on the other hand !

As solid as River have been in terms of defending, they have offered little going forward. Gallardo's side seem to be happy to wait for Quintero dead ball oportuinities. 

Sometimes the fear factor kicks in with the Superclasico games where both sides are playing under such pressure where the interest not to lose is greater than the desire to win... 

Boca enjoying more of the ball but River looking extremely solid in defence and it looks like it will take something special from the side in blue and yellow to crack open the River frear guard.

Possession after 20'

Boca 56-44 River Plate

Fine work from Ramirez as he juggles the ball on the edge of the River box, all neat in the build-up but the final strike is poor and poses no problems for Armani.

Another free for River and an opportunity for dead ball specialist Quintero to whip the ball in... not the best delivery from the Colombian and Rossi fists away.

River have ridden the early pressure and slowly but surely are working their way into the contest. Suarez looks like a constant threat for the visitors. 

River go close as the ball bobbles about in the box Mammana forces an excellent reflex save from Rossi in the Boca goal.

It's been all Boca at the start of the contest and with their first foray into the opposition half, River win their first corner of the night.

Payero strikes and the ball is deflected away for another corner.

Payero and Langoni working well and earn a dangerous free for the home side... Danger here for Armani in the River goal.

Bright start from Boca as they win the first corner of the evening

We're underway in Buenos Aires.... What an atmosphere !

Incredible scenes as both sides take to the pitch.... smoke and flares bellow...

Gallardo pre-game

"Sunday's match will be key in expectations that both teams have of getting into the fight for the title, but it will not be decisive. It will be a great incentive for the side that can impose itself and look forward to the tournament with better expectations", said River manager Gallardo, with a vast experience in derby games after his eight years as head coach.
 

What a welcome !

Boca players head to the pitch to warm up and are received with an incredible reception as the atmosphere builds as we head towards kick-off which is just 20 minutes away.

The referee for the Superclásico

37-year-old Darío Herrera, will be the match referee for the clash at La Bombonera. Herrera’s assistants will be Juan Pablo Belatti and Diego Bonfá. Yael Falcón will be the fourth official - and he will have the help of a fifth official, Mariana De Almeida, who has been added to the roster for the high-profile clash. Mauro Vigliano will be the video assistant referee.

River XI

Marcelo Gallardo selects his eleven men set to do battle at La Bombonera as we're just 30 minutes away from kick off

Boca starting XI

The Boca Juniors starting line up has been confirmed with Dario Benedetto starting as striker for the home side.

BA's weather for Superclasico

It's a mild September day in the Argentine capital with a temperature of 16C/63F expected at kick-off. Ideal conditions for players and fans alike with no rain forecast during the contest.

La Bombonera already in fine voice

Fans have been packing into the 54,000 capacity stadium for hours with chants and songs being belted out as we head towards the 2200 CEST / 1600 ET start.

Boca Juniors vs River Plate: last meeting

The most recent meeting between Los Xeneizes and Los Millonarios came in March in week seven of the league campaign, Sebastián Villa’s second-half goal earning Boca a 1-0 victory at the Estadio Monumental. It was the club’s first away win over their city rivals since 2017.

Boca-River: past five meetings

Traditionally Superclasico games are tense and cagey affairs with the past five meetings between both sides testament to this.... One win a-piece and three draws in the past five meetings.

The legendary Boca 'chicken-wire'

La Bombonera is without doubt one of global football's most iconic stadiums and the sight of yellow and blue clad youth scaling the chicken wire folloiwng the home side scoring behind the goal an essential pic for all accredited photographers. 

Boca shirts looking pristine

The iconic blue and yellow shirts hand at the home dressing room at La Bombonera awaiting the arrival of the squad. The current sponsorless shirt is certainly one of the most singular shirts in world football.

River coach arrives

The River Plate team coach has recently arrived at La Bombonera with the 'traditional' hail of jeers, whistles, chants and insults from the home supporters.

River dressing room awaits the arrival of the players

Just over an hour to kick-off in Buenos Aires and a tweet from Los Millonarios account offers us a snapshot of the visiting dressing room where the classic white shirts with their red sash await the arrival of Marcelo Gallardo's squad.

Possible XI's tonight

Boca: Agustín Rossi; Luis Advíncula, Nicolás Figal, Marcos Rojo, Frank Fabra; Martín Payero, Alan Varela, Pol Fernández, Juan Ramírez; Darío Benedetto & Luca Langoni.

River: Franco Armani; Marcelo Herrera, Emanuel Mammana, Paulo Díaz, Milton Casco; Enzo Pérez, Rodrigo Aliendro; Nicolás De La Cruz, Juanfer Quintero or Agustín Palavecino; Pablo Solari or Esequiel Barco & Lucas Beltrán.

Rocky start to 2022 season

Both Boca and River endured a mixed start to the championship, with both sides experiencing several defeats in the opening weeks of the season. Now, both River and Boca, the two most popular teams in Argentina, seem to have found their respective groove and will be looking to Sunday's game as a test of character for both teams.
 

Here's how both sides currently stand in the Argentina Primera Division ranking with 17 games played..... The BA's giants are some six points behind table topping Atletico Tucuman with the tournament coming to its conclusion on 23 October after 27 rounds of games.

Boca fans continue to taunt River with season en 'La B'

In June 2011, River Plate endured their darkest moment in the club's proud history as they were condemned to a season in the Argentine second division with their rivals from La Boce revelling in the misery suffered by their neighbours from the Nuñez part of town. 

At every Superclasico banners and flags with a ghost and a 'B' can be seen as Boca fans taung their rivals despite the event happening over a decade ago.

Boca fans already packing La Bombonera

With over two hours to go to kick-off, blue and yellow clad supporters pack into the stands at the iconic La Bombonera stadium with a capacity crowd of 54,000 fans expected tonight. There will be no away fans permitted as per ongoing Argentine League regulations.

Boca-River: Superclasico history

The history between 'xeneizes' and 'millonarios' has seen the Buenos Aires giants go head to head on 212 official matches, with 77 victories for Boca, 70 for River and 65 draws.

Boca Juniors vs River Plate: recent form

There’s plenty of symmetry about Boca and River’s records heading into their match-up in the Argentine capital. Tied on 29 points, they both find themselves on seven-game unbeaten runs.

Seventh-placed Boca last lost at Patronato on 31 July, while reigning league champions River, who are sixth on goal difference, suffered their most recent defeat later that same day, at home to Sarmiento.

The two teams were both victorious last time out in the Primera División. Strikes by Norberto Briasco and Luca Langoni gave Hugo Ibarra’s Boca a 2-1 win away to Colón, while Gallardo’s River earned a 2-0 home triumph over Barracas Central, Nicolás de la Cruz and Miguel Ángel Borja grabbing the goals.

The 2022 Argentine Premier División week 18 clash between Boca and River kicks off at 5pm local time at La Bombonera, Buenos Aires, on Sunday 11 September. In the United States, that’s 4pm ET/1pm PT.

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the Superclasico from Buenos Aires as Boca Juniors face eternal rivals River Plate at their La Bombonera stadium.