River Plate defeats Banfield to end winless streak

River Plate defeated Banfield 3-1 in a match where they were vastly superior, a stark contrast to their recent encounters. The game took place this evening at the Monumental Stadium for the seventh matchday of the 2026 Apertura Tournament. According to the Argentine News Agency, for the home team, defender Lucas Martínez Quarta scored in the 12th minute of the first half, forward Sebastián Driussi scored in the first minute of the second half, and midfielder Joaquín Freitas scored in the 13th minute. The equalizer had been scored by the attacker Mauro Méndez in the 44th minute of the first half. With the win, in the farewell match for their historic coach Marcelo Gallardo, River ended a four-match winless streak and moved to fifth place in Zone B with 10 points, while the 'Drill' is eleventh in the mentioned group with seven points. In the next round, the 'Millionaire' will visit Independiente Rivadavia on Monday, February 2nd at 21:30, while Pedro Troglio's team will play simultaneously at home against Aldosivi in a crucial match for relegation. River's first approach came in the sixth minute with a long-range shot from forward Sebastián Driussi that deflected off defender Danilo Arboleda and went over the crossbar, falling behind the goal of goalkeeper Facundo Sanguinetti. Two minutes later, a cross from the right led to a low header from forward Ian Subiabre from the small penalty area that was destined for goal, but was saved by the reflex save of Sanguinetti, who deflected a ball that subsequently hit the post. Banfield had its first approach in the 10th minute with a shot from midfielder Lautaro Villegas from the right vertex of the area, which went wide near the second post. River opened the scoring in the 12th minute with a corner kick from the right that was headed in by defender Lucas Martínez Quarta, who entered unmarked and put the ball against the post. The home team came close again in the 23rd minute with a combination between midfielder Joaquín Freitas and Subiabre that ended in a placed shot from the attacker that went wide of the 'Drill's' left post. In the 30th minute, a pass through the right enabled midfielder Fausto Vera to break free on the right side of the area and cross a low shot, centimeters from the second post of Sanguinetti. The 'Drill' closed the first half effectively with a long pass that enabled the run of forward Tiziano Perrotta, who advanced on the left and put in a great cross to the first post for Méndez, who finished first and beat goalkeeper Santiago Beltrán at his right post. In the third minute of added time, a through ball left forward Sebastián Driussi one-on-one, but he couldn't beat Sanguinetti with his shot to the first post. Before the first minute of the second half, a shot from Freitas hit the right post of the Banfield goalkeeper, with a rebound that was pushed into the goal by Driussi. In the eighth minute, Subiabre moved from the right to the center to shoot from the edge of the area with a low shot that went very close to the rival goalkeeper's right post. In the 13th minute, a back-heel pass from the left set up Freitas, who was unmarked at the edge of the small penalty area after a poor defensive clearance, and he pushed the ball into the goal to make it 3-1. The visitor's first chance came in the 29th minute with a good individual play by Perrotta against defender Lautaro Rivero that ended in a cross to the second post for the arrival of winger David Zalazar, who shot wide from the ground. There were no more approaches until the 46th minute, when a chest and left-footed volley from forward Santiago Lencina deflected off a rival and went very close to the crossbar. A minute later, a very close free kick from the area by Ecuadorian midfielder Kendry Páez hit the outside of the net near Sanguinetti's right post.