River racked up at the Monumental and is now in the semifinal of the Cup Marcelo Gallardo’s team defeated Independiente (3-1), and now occupies a place among the best four of the CONMEBOL Libertadores.

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In the first minutes, River began to take control of the ball, handling the threads of the game. That's how the first approaches started coming: Nacho Scocco dominated at the area, but could not finish comfortably. Then, the striker had one more chance, with another shot that was not accurate enough.

Lucas Pratto tried with a calculated shoot, which Martin Campaña manage to dominate on his left post. Nacho Fernandez also made an attempt, but he also was blocked by the rival’s goalkeeper. Meanwhile, Independiente practically did not disturb Franco Armani, who responded with grace the only time they managed to make a threat: a header that went near the first post by Martín Benítez after a corner kick.

In the stoppage time, after a wasted chance by Emmanuel Gigliotti, River came out fast on the counter attack, and after a good collective play and a precise pass from Rafael Borré, Scocco made a classy shot, firing river into the lead. River kept trying and had another chance with a header from Javier Pinola, while Sergio Romero was close to tying the match.

Then, Scocco made a bad call regarding a pass to Pratto inside the area and the rival equalized with a shot by Romero, after a rebound by Armani. However, “El Millonario” remained calm and after a couple of approaches came the great relief, with a super goal by Juan Quintero: a hook and left-footed shoot at Campaña’s first post.

With the match under control, Borré was the one in charge of closing the celebration with a piece of art: another rapid counter attack, followed by a Nicolás De La Cruz pass and precious right shoot from the Colombian to leave Campaña standing, and seal River's pass to the semifinal of the CONMEBOL Libertadores, where he will wait for the winner of the cross between Atlético Tucumán and Gremio de Brazil.

SYNTHESIS

RIVER PLATE: Franco Armani; Gonzalo Montiel, Jonatan Maidana, Javier Pinola, Milton Casco; Leonardo Ponzio (C), Exequiel Palacios, Ignacio Fernández; Rafael Borré, Lucas Pratto and Ignacio Scocco. DT: Marcelo Gallardo.

Substitutes: Germán Lux, Lucas Martínez Quarta, Camilo Mayada, Bruno Zuculini, Nicolás De La Cruz, Juan Quintero and Rodrigo Mora.

Changes: Quintero for Pratto, Zuculini for Scocco, De La Cruz for Fernández.

INDEPENDIENTE: Martín Campaña; Fabricio Bustos, Alan Franco, Nicolás Figal, Gastón Silva; Francisco Silva, Nicolás Domingo, Pablo Hernández; Martín Benítez, Silvio Romero and Maximiliano Meza.

Substitutes: Milton Álvarez, Emanuel Brítez, Juan Sánchez Miño, Fernando Gaibor, Braian Romero, Ezequiel Cerutti and Emmanuel Gigliotti.

Changes: Gigliotti for Hernández, Sánchez Miño for Benítez, Cerutti for G. Silva.

Goals: Scocco, Quintero, Borré (RP), S. Romero (I).

Admonished: Scocco, Pratto, Zuculini (RP); Figal, Benítez, F. Silva (I).

Referee: Anderson Daronco (Brazil).

Attendees: Marcelo Van Gasse (Brazil).

Fourth referee: Luiz Flavio de Oliveira (Brazil).

VAR: Wilton Sampaio (Brazil).

AVAR 1: Rodolpho Toski (Brazil).

AVAR 2: Bruno Boschilia (Brazil).

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