Boca Juniors beat River Plate on their own turf: fiery clasico ends with two red cards and a precious top spot

A tough night for River Plate

Boca Juniors won the Superclasico showdown with bitter rivals River Plate, edging a single-goal thriller at La Bombonera on Sunday evening. The penultimate round of Argentina's Clausura tournament delivered a precious victory that returned Boca to the top of the annual standings with one round to play.

Lautaro Di Lollo settled it. His strike handed Boca three vital points in front of their own fans, in a fiercely tense affair that ended with River down to nine men. Lucas Martinez Quarta saw red in the ninth minute, and Gonzalo Montiel followed him off in the 79th.

The win lifted Boca to 60 points, enough to reclaim top spot by a single point from Rosario Central, who had beaten Sarmiento 2-1 on Friday. All eyes now turn to the final round, when Boca face Defensa y Justicia knowing a result would see them finish as leaders.

For Boca, the significance runs deeper still. They have already booked their place in the Copa Sudamericana final against Atletico Mineiro on 21 November in Barranquilla, and they prepare to meet Banfield in the Copa Argentina semi-final on 14 November.

Qualification for the next Copa Libertadores is also secured, keeping Boca in the hunt on more than one front during the decisive phase of the season.

River, meanwhile, face a far trickier equation after the derby defeat. Their tally stayed frozen at 23 points in the second group, and they now need a positive result against Aldosivi in the final round to guarantee a place in the next stage of the Clausura. It is their last chance to salvage the season.