EN
ESRiver wins at home and secures qualification Martín Demichelis’ team beat Libertad 2-0 at the Mâs Monumental stadium, with goals from Miguel Borja, securing a spot in the CONMEBOL Libertadores round of 16.
On another CONMEBOL Libertadores evening at home, River was vastly superior to Libertad from the off and wasted no time in creating danger, with two shots from Nacho Fernández and Agustín Sant’Anna from mid-range. Rodrigo Aliendro had the clearest chance after a rebound, but his shot hit Miguel Borja, who had failed to score initially.
The away team barely troubled Franco Armani with a few long-range shots, while Claudio Echeverri put together an individual effort, narrowly missing the goal. Facundo Colidio and Paulo Díaz had two very clear chances, but it was Borja’s low shot that found its way past Libertad’s keeper, securing the 1-0 lead for River.
Libertad pressed hard at the start of the second half, and within the first two minutes, nearly found the equalizer, but Armani reacted brilliantly to deny Bautista Merlini’s shot. River responded with a swift counterattack, as Aliendro unleashed a right-footed shot that Morinigo managed to save; then, Nacho nearly found the net with a free-kick toward the far post.
River maintained control and had chances to extend the lead, including a curled right-footed shot from Colidio, a shot from Pablo Solari that Morinigo saved low, and a deflected effort by Aliendro near the edge of the box. At the end, the Colombian striker netted a stunning goal to seal the 2-0 victory.
With this win, River Plate has secured a place in the CONMEBOL Libertadores’s round of 16 and next year’s Club World Cup, taking place in the United States.
- Tags
- First Team
