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River Plate 3 Boca Juniors 1 (aet, 5-3 agg): Quintero and Martinez clinch Libertadores title in extra time

River Plate have won a fourth Copa Libertadores title, as two extra-time goals saw them come from behind to beat Boca Juniors 3-1 in Madrid.

By Opta
River Plate won a fourth Copa Libertadores title as two extra-time goals saw them come from behind to beat Boca Juniors 3-1 in Madrid.

Madrid, December 10: Ten-man Boca Juniors will feel they have been denied justice after bitter rivals River Plate beat them to the 2018 Copa Libertadores title 5-3 on aggregate, as extra-time goals from Juan Quintero and Gonzalo Martinez secured a 3-1 win in Sunday's controversial rearranged final second leg in Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu.

Quintero stunner helps River Plate win Copa Libertadores

The match was suspended twice in November due to an attack on Boca's team bus by River supporters, but the Xeneizes' demands to be handed the title fell on deaf ears and River will return to Argentina with a fourth Libertadores crown.

The opening 45 minutes grew progressively more fiery as half-time approached, with Boca ultimately deservedly edging ahead through Dario Benedetto's brilliantly worked goal in the 44th minute.

A similarly applaudable Lucas Pratto goal levelled things after the interval to secure an extra 30 minutes, and Wilmar Barrios' sending off handed River the initiative, as Quintero gloriously put them ahead and then Martinez rounded things off in the closing stages.

Boca should have taken an early lead when the ball broke kindly at a corner for captain Pablo Perez – one of those injured in the bus attack – but he shot straight at Franco Armani

Benedetto was successful just before the break, however, skipping over Jonatan Maidana's tackle and coolly slotting past Armani to finish a devastating counter after Nahitan Nandez's sublime pass.

Out of necessity River improved after the break and they got their deserved equaliser in the 68th minute – Pratto sweeping home from the centre of the box after Ignacio Fernandez's cut-back at the end of an incisive move, ultimately forcing extra time.

Barrios was shown a second yellow card early on in the additional period for appearing to stamp on Exequiel Palacios, and River capitalised in the 109th minute – Quintero's 20-yard stunner going in off the crossbar.

Boca pushed desperately for an equaliser and hit the post with a deflected Leonardo Jara effort in the 120th minute, but from the resulting corner they were caught with everyone – including goalkeeper Esteban Andrada – in attack, and Martinez raced home on the break to score into an empty net and begin the River celebrations.

Story first published: Monday, December 10, 2018, 11:16 [IST]
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