Boca Juniors defeated arch-rivals River Plate 2–0 in Sunday’s Superclásico to seal qualification for the 2026 Copa Libertadores.
At a packed La Bombonera, with more than 50,000 fans in attendance – including pop star Dua Lipa – Boca claimed a resounding victory over their fierce rivals, leaving River in a difficult position in their own bid to reach next year’s Libertadores.
Exequiel Zeballos struck in first-half stoppage time and Uruguayan forward Miguel Merentiel added a second barely a minute after the restart to give the Xeneize a derby win.
The Millonario had the better of the early exchanges, seeing more of the ball but, as has often been the case in 2025, lacked the cutting edge in the final third.
Changuito the difference
Little of note happened until just before the interval, when Boca landed a decisive blow on the counter: a long ball forward was launched forward which Zeballos controlled superbly before racing clear. His first effort was saved by River goalie Franco Armani, but ‘Changuito’ tucked away the rebound into an empty net.
That goal gave Boca a valuable lead, and they struck again almost immediately after half-time. Zeballos won the ball high up on River’s right, sprinted into space and squared for Merentiel, who made it 2–0.
Interim coach Claudio Úbeda, who took over following the death of Miguel Russo a month ago (October 8 ), dedicated the victory to his late predecessor. “A large part of what you see in this team is his image,” he said.
The win secures Boca their spot in the group stage of the 2026 Copa Libertadores as runners-up to Rosario Central in the annual table, while they are still alive in the Clausura, where they’ve already reached the last 16.
“We’re buzzing with the win. This team deserved to qualify for the Libertadores, and we’ve managed to do it. Scoring against River means a lot to me,” said Merentiel, who has now scored 48 goals in Boca’s colours.
By contrast, River continue to struggle for consistency and have slipped to sixth in Group B, though they remain in contention for a place in the last 16. Marcelo “El Muñeco” Gallardo declined to hold his usual post-match press conference after the defeat.
Colombian midfielder Juanfer Quintero reacted angrily to a question, saying: “We’ve hit rock bottom. My performance may have been good, average or poor, but I would never stab a manager in the back. People keep digging where there’s nothing and trying to stir things up – that’s got nothing to do with me.”
Sarmiento safe from the drop
In Junín, Sarmiento secured their top-flight survival with a 2–1 win over Instituto, striking twice early on through Juan Insaurralde (2’) and Manuel García (6’). Instituto pulled one back via Stefano Moreyra (67’), but it wasn’t enough.
Aldosivi, who had seemed destined for relegation only weeks ago, gave themselves a lifeline with a 1–0 victory over Banfield – their fourth win in five matches – leaving them on the brink of safety. Uruguayan midfielder Federico Gino converted a penalty deep into stoppage time (90+13’), awarded after a VAR review, to clinch the win for the Mar del Plata side.
In the late kick-off, Tigre edged out Estudiantes 1–0 at home thanks to Elías Cabrera’s strike (23’). The visitors finished with 10 men after Guido Carrillo was sent off before half-time. The result leaves El Matador on the verge of the last 16, while El Pincha sit seventh in an extremely tight Group A and will need a good result on the final matchday to reach the play-offs.
Atlético Tucumán also confirmed their safety with a 2–1 win over Godoy Cruz, easing any lingering relegation fears and plunging El Tomba into deeper trouble.
Juan Morán (19’, own goal) and Marcelo Ortiz (68’) scored for El Decano, while Santino Andino netted a late consolation (79’) for the Mendoza club, who now sit bottom of the annual table and all but doomed to the second division.
– TIMES/AFP
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