River Plate thrashed Newell’s Old Boys 4-1 at home, within the framework of the 13th date of the Professional Soccer League, and joined the group of teams that are in fourth place, all expectant and seven points behind the leader, Atletico Tucuman.
Pablo Solari, the figure, opened and extended the account with his first two goals in River and Javier Pinola and Matías Suárez completed. Pablo Pérez had scored the discount for the Rosario team.
The match was played at the Monumental stadium before a crowd and was refereed by Fernando Echenique.
Núñez’s team reached 21 units and shares fourth place with Patronato de Paraná, Godoy Cruz de Mendoza, Platense and Unión de Santa Fe, who have two fewer games.
Above are Atlético Tucumán (28), Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata (24, the only one that still has to play on this date, tomorrow away with Vélez Sarsfield) and Huracán (23).
River had control of the ball and territorial dominance from the start of the game, but until it reached the opening of the scoreboard it was once again the confused team of recent times: without surprise, without triangulations, without the depth of the overflows.
Against a Newell’s dedicated almost exclusively to defending itself (and even so revealing some shortcomings in the operation of the premises), Marcelo Gallardo’s team barely generated two approaches of some risk: the first with a left-footed shot by Solari from inside the area that went wide (he had received from Quintero, who entered only through the other sector); and a poisoned center from De la Cruz that Beltrán failed to connect.
The good news was again Mammana’s level, which he resolved with a huge intervention against Rosario’s only chance, a shot by Balzi after stealing from Quintero at the start.
But River, in the scarcity or in the search to rediscover his path, learned to live on bursts. And in a flash he began to solve the match with Solari’s first two goals since he arrived at the club, both after qualifications from Palavecino.
The first was at 29m, with a shot that deflected in Vangioni and dislodged Morales; and the second four minutes later, at 33m, with a nice cross from right to left. An exaggerated difference, sustained in the opportunism, the forcefulness and, also, in some appearances of “Juanfer” and his talent.
Newell’s, whose great start to the tournament is just a memory, was left without answers and without Vangioni, who was injured before the break, asked for the change and left crying, although with the consolation of a huge ovation for his past in the “Millionaire “.
The “Piri” Vangioni (possible rupture of the Achilles tendon) extended the losing streak of Javier Sanguinetti’s squad, who arrived at the Monumental with several weight losses such as those of Macagno, García, Garro and Ferreyra, which explains in part his present.
River was able to increase as soon as the complement began with a shot by Quintero, after an error by Morales, which went wide; and Newell’s only responded at 15m, with an entry from the left by Luciano, unmarked and against a “sleeping” defense, which he defined with a deflected shot.
Little happened in the game. River did not generate but handled the weather with the tranquility of the result. Until Newell’s discounted at 19m: Armani covered a Funez entry and Pablo Pérez, who had entered before the end of the first stage and to whom the entire stadium reminded him of his past in Boca Juniors, took the rebound and headed into discount. The show revived.
The visitor went with enthusiasm and created a couple of risky situations. And River responded, again, forcefully: Pinola, who was the starter due to an injury at the last minute to Chilean Paulo Díaz, won in the jump from a corner and also made it 3-1 with a header.
Newell’s felt the impact. But there was the icing on the cake: Matías Suárez, who had just given victory to River in the classic with Independiente, came on for De la Cruz at 32m and at 35m he made it 4-1 with a delicious definition after a counterattack.
On the next date, the 14th, River will visit Arsenal de Sarandí (Wednesday from 7:00 p.m.) and Newell’s will receive Lanús in Rosario (the same day but from 4:30 p.m.).
