Exequiel Zeballos, With its sweet present, it represented the main advantage that Boca had over River in the run-up to this Superclásico in which the two giants had a lot at stake. AND the Changuito certified the previous perception with a consecrating party. He flew through the Bombonera without any millionaire defender being able to contain him and gave two brutal blows to the already punished team of Marcelo Gallardo.
Zeballos, with his own definition, was the key to unlocking the classic when nothing was happening, at the close of the first half. El Changuito, with a brutal overflow crowned with precise assistance, was crucial in burying River when almost nothing had happened in a second stage that had just begun. And then it continued to unbalance…
The consecration of Changuito
At 23 years old, Finally it seems that Changuito Zeballos confirms everything good that he has been announcing for five years and that due to injuries and some other obstacles he was unable to complete. It is overflow, dribbling, goal, daring, freshness, all that is scarce in the Argentine league. Boca thoroughly enjoyed it. River received it like the worst of nightmares.
Thus, with Zeballos in a state of grace, Boca established itself high in Zone A of the Clausura and qualified for the group stage of the next Libertadores, filling this River in crisis with even more doubts, which even has its passport to the playoffs of the highest continental competition in danger. a prize that must be sought as a visitor against the tough Vélez in the last chapter of this regular phase of the domestic tournament.
From almost nothing to 1-0
Almost nothing had happened in the first half. Boca’s midfield was not working. It didn’t weigh Leandro Paredesand much less Milton Delgado and Carlos Palacios. In that context, he wasted the powerful presence of Exequiel Zeballos, away from the goal, just like Miguel Merentiel and Milton Giménez. Marcelo Gallardo’s idea for River only served to block the Xeneizes midfielders and not to suffer at the back. From the middle up it generated nothing.
Boca Juniors: Agustín Marchesín; Juan Barinaga, Lautaro Di Lollo, Ayrton Costa, Lautaro Blanco; Carlos Palacios (m.74, Ender Herrera), Milton Delgado, Leandro Paredes (m.86, Tomás Belmonte), Exequiel Zeballos (m.95, Kevin Zenón); Miguel Merentiel (d.86, Malcom Braida) and Milton Giménez.
Coach: Claudio Úbeda.
River Plate: Franco Armani Gonzalo Montiel, Lucas Martínez Quarta, Paulo Díaz, Lautaro Rivero (m.46, Juan Fernando Quintero), Marcos Acuña; Maximiliano Meza (m.33, Matías Galarza Fonda), Juan Portillo, Kevin Castaño (m.59, Giuliano Galoppo); Maximiliano Salas and Sebastián Driussi (d.59, Miguel Borja).
Coach: Marcelo Gallardo.
Goals: 1-0, m.45: Exequiel Zeballos. 2-0, m.47: Miguel Ángel Merentiel.
Referee: Nicolás Ramírez. He cautioned Lautaro Di Lollo, Milton Giménez, Lucas Martínez Quarta, Marcos Acuña, Franco Armani, Gonzalo Montiel, Miguel Borja, Matías Galarza Fonda and Giuliano Galoppo.
Incidents: Match of the 15th day of the Clausura Tournament played at the Alberto J. Armando ‘La Bombonera’ stadium, in Buenos Aires, before 54,000 spectators.
see match sheet
Boca and River only came together with some lukewarm shots from outside. Until in the first added minute of that initial stage, After a ball from Ayrton Costa, Paulo Díaz failed to clear his header and the shipment was sent to Zeballos. El Changuito advanced a few meters, he hooked Lucas Martínez Quarta and kicked down. Franco Armani covered with a great reaction, but Zeballos captured the rebound and sent it in.
Merentiel marks the second
The second half represented an immense challenge for River and Gallardo, marked in 2025 by defeats and lack of answers. They had to react yes or yes in the Bombonera.
The Doll He took out a defender (Lautaro Rivero), He put in a creative (the unusual substitute Juanfer Quintero) and so he changed the 5-3-2 for a 4-3-1-2. But he did not find space to see if it would work because at the very beginning of the second half, with the million-dollar defense coming out and facing a lossZeballos flew and assisted Merentiel so that all of Boca could shout for second.
In that match in which nothing was happening, suddenly, at the close of the first half and at the beginning of the second, Changuito Zeballos emerged and hit River with two knockout blows. And it could have been worse for the millionaires. Milton Giménez, the Xeneize center forward, had three clear chances to give the result the tone of a victory, but he failed.
Ander Herrera debuts in a Superclásico
The millionaires only created a dangerous chance in the 90th minute, with a deflected header from Matias Galarza alone. Too little for Gallardo’s team.
In the last 20, Ander Herrera entered and handled the ball with class. He had the pleasure of playing his first Superclásico and celebrated a giant victory. Leandro Paredes enjoyed it the same way. And also the president Juan Román Riquelme applauding from his box.
Endorsement to Ubeda
The Superclásico meant a big boost for Claudio Ubedathe deceased DT’s field assistant Miguel Russothat collaborator who found a way back into the team, with players who respond to him and who may be confirmed as the main coach for 2026. We will have to see how this championship closes.
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River and Gallardo are equal to an immense unknown. El Muñeco left three Madrid legends on the bench: Enzo Pérez, Nacho Fernández and Juanfer Quintero. The team did not work once again and has six defeats in the last seven rounds of the local tournament. And the DT did not contribute anything from the outside either. The River of the future will need a total overhaul.
The biggest game in Argentine football happened. Exequiel Zeballos flew, Boca rose and River sank even more.
