River Plate managed to advance to the semifinals of the Copa Libertadores after winning 2-0 at the Monumental stadium and losing 1-0 at the Bombonera against Boca Juniors, achieving an aggregate score of 2-1. In that year's final, Flamengo snatched the title away with a comeback in the last five minutes with two goals from Gabriel 'Gabigol' Barbosa.
In 2020, River Plate faced Palmeiras and suffered a heavy defeat of 3-0 in Buenos Aires. In the return match in Brazil, despite a victory of 2-0, they could not reverse the aggregate score and were eliminated from their third consecutive final.
In this new edition of the Copa Libertadores, River Plate will play the semifinals against Atlético Mineiro, starting with an away match in Brazil at the Arena MRV stadium in Belo Horizonte. The team led by Marcelo Gallardo is seeking its fourth Copa Libertadores final in its era.
In recent years, River has been a key player in the Copa Libertadores and has reached the semifinals in six of the nine editions under Gallardo's leadership, being the club with the most appearances in this stage, with a total of 21. Throughout this journey, River has had intense experiences, from historic comebacks to painful disappointments.
River Plate has had different results in the Copa Libertadores semifinals in recent years. In 2015, they qualified for the final after defeating Guarani, bringing the excitement to Madrid for the historic final against Boca Juniors. In 2019, they managed to defeat Boca Juniors again in the semifinals and secured the title against Tigres from Mexico, beginning a glorious era in international competitions.
Now, River Plate is preparing to face a new challenge in the Copa Libertadores semifinals, keeping the hope alive to reach another final and add a new chapter to its rich history in the continental tournament.
