A lot of people have found this site today after searching for live footage of the superclásico. So, I’ll be updating this post with the latest score every few minutes during the match. Mauro Rosales has equalised early in the second half to cancel out Pablo Ledesma’s ridiculously early strike. Click ‘read more’ to see the write-up. Once you’re there, refresh the page or keep checking back during half time for the latest score.
Boca Juniors 1 - 1 River Plate (FULL TIME)
All times are British Summer Time
20:20 – The teams have taken to the pitch and the media are milling around, kickoff delayed for a few minutes. River manager Daniel Passarella has been escorted to the bench under cover of an umbrella to protect from any projectiles thrown by the home fans (probably).
20:30 – Boca kick off playing from right to left as the TV cameras see it. The fans are in fine voice as always in La Bombonera.
1 min – GOAL FOR BOCA. Riquelme plays a through-ball and Pablo Ledesma knocks it in before River goalie Carrizo can come for it. What a start.
10 mins – But for the goal it’s been relatively even, though Boca are getting more men forward in the attacks and looking more dangerous. As I type, Martín Palermo’s just hit a wonderful chance right at Carrizo, who reacted well to push it away.
15 mins – A brilliant double save from Carrizo, first pushing away a long-range piledriver before putting Palacio’s follow up behind for a corner. It’s starting to turn into a chess game, with Boca trying to crowd River out in midfield, then pick them off on the counter.
23 mins – Boca are back on the attack and River don’t look comfortable. The visitors’ strikers haven’t yet come into the game whilst Boca’s midfield – and Pablo Ledesma in particular – are all over them.
28 mins – River’s Oscar Ahumada is shown the game’s first yellow card for a foul on Juan Román Riquelme in the midfield (although Martín Palermo was lucky not to get booked a few minutes ago).
31 mins – Rodrigo Palacio gets clean through inside the box, but another superb stop from Carrizo saves River again. Palacio blazes a second attempt over the bar.
34 mins – Augusto Fernández is booked for a foul on Riquelme, who’s coming in for some rough treatment so far today.
38 mins – River finally force something, Belluschi getting a corner when Daniel Díaz heads his shot just over the bar. The corner was kept out by Boca ‘keeper Mauricio Caranta, forced into meaningful action for the first time.
42 mins – River right-back Pablo Ferrari is booked for an ugly tackle on Ever Banega. It looked accidental but was incredibly ugly and could have been very serious had Banega’s studs stuck in the ground – which fortunately they didn’t.
43 mins - River have a free-kick on the right wing about 15 yards out, which is cleared and Boca almost make it 2-0, but the counter attack is eventually cleared by Pablo Ferrari.
45 mins – in the first minute of stoppage time, Belluschi has a shot blocked on the edge of the area by Daniel Díaz. In the third, right before the break, Riquelme has a good chance to double the hosts’ lead, but tries to be too clever and scuffs his attempted chip wide.
21:18 – HALF TIME
A largely uneventful first half which started to get a lot more interesting after the half hour passed. River still don’t look comfortable but are starting to ask Boca’s rearguard a few questions, whilst Boca are attacking more dangerously and have forced a few good saves from Juan Pablo Carrizo. Los Millonarios look shapeless up front and Marco Rubén is struggling to come into the game. Riqulme and Banega, on the other hand, are running the midfield between them for the Xeneize.
21:38 - Boca are out for the second half, no changes evident as yet.
21:40 – River take to the pitch, to whistles and boos from most of the stadium.
21:43 – River start the second half.
49 mins – GOAL FOR RIVER. Mauro Rosales races onto a through ball from Marco Rubén, controls it well, and with his second touch smacks it past Caranta from the edge of the box. 1-1.
52 mins – River have come out with a lot more urgency since the break. Whatever Passarella said at half time (possibly ‘please don’t get me sacked’), it seems to be working – so far.
55 mins - Boca stick a couple of long balls into River’s box. Palacio’s fighting for them but is muscled out both times and gives away a free kick.
56 mins – Two great chances for River, Daniel Díaz heading a very dangerous cross away and the ball eventually ending up in the arms of home goalie Caranta.
58 mins – Free kick for Boca right outside the box as Leandro Ponzio brings down Riquelme from behind. This second half has started at 100 mph… Riquelme puts it over.
64 mins – Free kick to Boca in the midfield, which comes to nothing. The second half is settling down after that breakneck start, but there have been half-chances at both ends.
66 mins – River change: Oscar Ahumada off for René Lima.
72 mins - A bit of handbags between Riquelme and Ahumada – it’s been a remarkably good-tempered game by the standards of this fixture so far.
73 mins – A moment of danger in the River box, but the ball is cleared after Palermo fails to take advantage.
75 mins – River change: Oscar Ahumada off for Diego Galván. An attacking switch.
76 mins – Galván leads a dangerous River surge but Belluschi ends up dispossessed on the edge of the box, and Boca get it out.
78 mins – Galván finds Belluschi unmarked in the box, but the captain swivels and puts his shot inches wide. The fact he’s even got in there suggests that River have got their attacking heads screwed back on properly, though.
79 mins – On the counter, Martín Palermo heads agonisingly over after getting between River’s centre-backs in the box.
80 mins – Another good chance for Boca after good work from Palacio, but River get it clear.
83 mins – Good work from Juan Pablo Carrizo to nick it off Palermo’s head, and start a counter, which ends in a free kick to River after Clemente Rodríguez brings Mauro Rosales down in Boca’s half.
84 mins – River’s Cristian Nasuti is booked for bringing down Palermo in the centre circle.
85 mins – Eduardo Tuzzio is booked and Boca have a free kick outside the area.
85 mins – Boca change: Rodrigo Palacio off for Guillermo Barros Schelotto, the Boca legend for whom this will be the final superclásico as a player. Carrizo saves Riquelme’s free kick brilliantly with his trailing foot after it takes a deflection off the wall and looks to creep in behind his dive.
86 mins – Corner for Boca after a very dangerous centre from Riquelme, who’d got free in the box.
88 mins – Eduardo Tuzzio goes over the top of Barros Schelotto and is perhaps a bit lucky not to pick up his second booking.
90 mins – Marco Rubén flashes a shot inches wide after breaking from midfield. Was that River’s last chance to win it?
90 + 3 mins – No. Rubén misses another great chance, this time with his head from six yards out.
22:32 - Full time. In stoppage time River had replaced Belluschi with Matías Abelaires. And a correction from much, much earlier – Boca’s 43rd second goal came from Pablo Ledesma, not Rodrigo Palacio. Sorry.
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