River Plate dominates in victory over Argentinos Juniors

River Plate dominated in the second half against Argentinos Juniors and created goal-scoring opportunities, however, they couldn't convert. After several attempts, the 'Millonario' opened the scoring in the 66th minute and then added two more goals to secure the result.

The first goal came through Juan Fernando Quintero. The Colombian midfielder took a free kick and sent the ball into the top corner of the goal defended by Federico Lanzillota, silencing the 'Bicho colorado' fans in La Paternal.

Then, River Plate increased the intensity against Argentinos' defensive weaknesses. So, in the 69th minute, Lucas Beltrán took advantage of a rival player's mistake and placed the ball over the goalkeeper. With suspense, the ball entered the net and thus, Marcelo Gallardo's squad increased their lead.

Afterwards, Agustín Palavecino, who had come on for Bruno Zuculini, received Beltrán's pass and unleashed a powerful shot to score the third goal in the 80th minute, sealing the victory.

Argentinos Juniors vs. River Plate: preview

The 'Millionarios' suffered another blow in the season. Marcelo Gallardo's team drew 2-2 against Patronato and then lost on penalties in the Copa Argentina. To make matters worse, they have only won one of their last four matches in the domestic championship, distancing themselves from the title race.

Amidst that scenario, the 'Muñeco' Gallardo welcomes back key players to secure a spot in the Copa Libertadores: Franco Armani, Paulo Díaz, and Nicolás de la Cruz, who had international duty. In addition, Emanuel Mammana has recovered from an injury and is expected to start. Only Santiago Simón was unable to get fit for this game.

On the other hand, Argentinos Juniors is also far from the title race. Therefore, the focus for the 'Bicho' is to secure qualification for a continental tournament. For now, the reds are in a Copa Sudamericana spot in the annual table. However, Gabriel Milito's team still has a chance to fight for the Libertadores.