Gallardo’s ceaseless woes make River-Boca Superclásico a must-watch

By Dan Edwards / @DanEdwardsGoal

s honeymoons go, Stefano Di Carlo’s was almost indecently brief. No sooner had he won a crushing victory in River Plate’s presidential elections last Saturday than he was back at the Monumental watching one of the worst results in recent memory for the club. A reminder that, in spite of the record investment that the aptly monikered Millonario have made in recent years, all is not well ahead of a potential breaking point for both them and Marcelo Gallardo.

Miguel Borja’s last-minute penalty miss added insult to injury for River as they fell 1-0 to Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata in front of a hostile, frustrated home crowd. It was the seventh defeat Gallardo’s men have suffered in the last 10 games, a run which has torpedoed their hopes for silverware both home and abroad. During that spell, River have seen their Copa Libertadores quest ended by Palmeiras as well, as a humbling upset in the Copa Argentina at the hands of Independiente Rivadavia, leaving the Clausura phase of the league as their last chance of silverware.

And even that does not look too certain right now. Those persistent losses have seen the Millonario slide down the rankings not just in Group B of the Clausura and also the all-important annual table that determines continental qualification for 2026. Defeat this weekend could mean not only falling out of the top eight play-off spots, but also losing their presumed Libertadores berth for the coming year.

Fortunately there will be little pressure on the new president and his coach’s backs as River gear up to face (checks notes) Boca Juniors in the Bombonera. Oh.

The Xeneize will be raring to go in Sunday’s Superclásico. Still without a permanent successor to the late Miguel Ángel Russo on the bench, Boca have rallied from that gut-wrenching loss to win three of their last four in the Liga Profesional de Fútbol and all but guarantee a return to the Libertadores, with the added satisfaction of doing so at the expense of their faltering arch-rivals.

Interim boss Claudio Ubeda has finally stumbled upon the winning formula up front, partnering Milton Giménez with Miguel Merentiel in the absence of Edinson Cavani. Having managed just a single goal in the first 10 games of the Clasura, the much-maligned Milton has come up with five in the last four games – elsewhere in the Giménez family, brother Edilson has been key in Ituzaingo’s Primera C campaign which could end in promotion this weekend if they can overcome Sportivo Barracas. Merentiel has also struck twice in the last two games, giving Boca an unexpected edge in front of goal after struggling on that front for the best part of the year.

Confidence is certainly high around La Boca. “We are going to win the Superclásico because we’re in a good place,” Milton assured Radio Continental last week. Ubeda was more cautious, but sent out a warning to River ahead of the game: “The Superclásico is a worldwide event we will all experience intensely. We know how to play it. We will be preparing hard for this game in order to finish the [Clausura] the way we planned for.”

So, the big question, finally. After forcing out so many Boca coaches during his tenure – two in the last 14 months alone, after Superclásico wins prompted Diego Martínez and then Fernando Gago to leave their posts – could Gallardo be bracing for a taste of his own medicine? Could defeat against River’s nemesis, Gallardo’s eighth in the last eleven games, end his second spell at the Monumental?

It seems highly unlikely, not least because ‘El Muñeco’ has put pen to paper on a fresh one-year deal just four days before the derby – an extraordinary show of support from Di Carlo in his first week on the job. But defeat at the Bombonera would nevertheless leave Gallardo in an unprecedented position of weakness in the eyes of the new administration and at the very least shine a light on the transfer policies which have been long on outlay and short on results since he returned for this second spell.

Boca will be hungrier than ever, playing for the memory of Russo and eager to add more misery on their struggling rivals – all of which adds even more spice to a game which is a can’t-miss on the football calendar every single season.