Boca Juniors Defeats River Plate in a Decisive Superclásico

Boca won the duel on the flanks, where they forced one-on-one situations and found space for their wingers. With a solid performance and sustained intensity, the home team neutralized their rivals' attempts and could have extended the lead. The game showed Boca more compact and aggressive in the middle third press, with fast transitions that exploited the space behind River's full-backs. Thus, they closed out a victory with statistical validation and a sense of authority. With this result, Xeneize heads into the decisive stage of the Clausura with momentum, while managing physical loads and tactical discipline for the upcoming knockout rounds. With the advantage, Boca controlled the tempo, closed passing lanes, and chose when to strike. For River, the defeat complicates their chances of qualifying via the annual table and forces them to pick up points in the remaining Clausura matches to avoid depending on other teams' results. Beyond the individual names, the Superclásico left clear tactical signals. His goal, at the moment of greatest parity, tipped the balance in favor of the home team and boosted their game plan. After the break, Boca maintained the game's rhythm with a furious start and found the 2-0 in a move that once again featured Zeballos as the protagonist: a run at full speed and a through-ball for Merentiel to finish with precision. They also adjusted their defensive cover well on the retreat: when River tried to switch play or surprise with diagonal runs, the home side responded with precise crosses and overlaps. River sought to build from the center circle but ran into a very active Boca front line and timely cover on the wings. In central areas, the coordinated press allowed them to win the ball high up and, from there, decide whether to play quickly or slow down possession to manage their lead. The Bombonera backed the team's superiority with an atmosphere that pushed them on in key moments, especially after the 1-0. Buenos Aires, November 9, 2025 – Total News Agency-TNA – Boca Juniors defeated River Plate 2-0 at La Bombonera and secured a place in the 2026 Copa Libertadores, in a Superclásico that also left them atop Zone A of the Clausura Tournament. For Boca, the victory is a double reward: it solidifies their lead in their zone and, at the same time, guarantees a return to the main continental competition, a key objective set by the club for 2026. In the final minutes, the visitor pushed with more urgency than clarity; nonetheless, the clearest chance once again fell to Boca on a counter-attack that could have sealed the 3-0. The result has a direct impact on the table and the season's projection. River, for its part, must correct the defensive frailties in their transitions and regain their combined play in the middle third, where they lacked precision in the final ball today. The emotional management of the match—without overreacting to the frictions inherent in a clásico—was another trait that explained the difference: Boca chose a register of competitive maturity and sustained it with positional rigor. Xeneize struck at the right moments: Exequiel “Changuito” Zeballos opened the scoring late in the first half, and in the second half, he assisted Miguel Merentiel for the second. River responded with long-range shots and some incursions down the right, but failed to break down Boca's defensive structure. The clásico leaves a clear message for both: in a short tournament with narrow margins, decisiveness in the final third defines destinies. In that context, Zeballos was the match-winner: he took on players, drew fouls, forced opponents to retreat, and managed the fast breaks with intelligence.