River Plate dominates Argentinos Juniors and secures victory
In the second half, River Plate dominated Argentinos Juniors and created goal-scoring opportunities, however, they couldn't convert. After several attempts, the 'Millionaires' opened the scoring in the 66th minute and then added two more goals to secure the result.
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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 Argentinos' fans in La Paternal.
Afterwards, River Plate increased the pressure due to Argentinos' defensive weaknesses. Then, 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 Marcelo Gallardo's squad increased their lead.
Later, Agustín Palavecino, who had replaced Bruno Zuculini, received a pass from Beltrán and unleashed a powerful shot to score the third goal in the 80th minute, sealing the victory.
Argentinos Juniors vs. River Plate: preview
The 'Millionaires' 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 league and are therefore moving away from the title race.
In the midst of that scenario, the 'Muñeco' Gallardo recovers 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 could start. Only Santiago Simón failed to get fit for this match.
On the other hand, Argentinos Juniors is also far from the title race. So, the focus of the 'Bicho' is to secure a spot in a continental competition. For now, the team is in a Copa Sudamericana position based on their annual table position. However, Gabriel Milito's squad can still fight for the Libertadores.