Boca Juniors, River Plate set for historic Copa Libertadores final

For the first time ever, the final of the Copa Libertadores will feature Superclasico rivals Boca Juniors and River Plate.

2018 marks the final time the Copa Libertadores final will be played over two legs. The tournament couldn’t have lucked into a better pairing for its final home-and-home championship round, as Argentine rivals Boca Juniors and River Plate meet up in the high-stakes encounter.

What will be missing, however, are opposing fans. In a country where barras bravas have set a template for South American hooliganism that is far more entrenched, organized and interlinked with the clubs themselves than anything ever seen in Europe, there has been a ban on opposing fans at Argentine matches since 2013.

While Argentine president Mauricio Macri said he wouldn’t oppose both sets of fans getting to attend the matches at La Bombonera and El Monumental, the decision was ultimately left to the clubs. And, in consultation with the Asociacion del Futbol Argentino, both clubs opted to keep the ban in place for the continental final.

Though they’ve faced one another at earlier stages in past editions of the Copa Libertadores, this is the first time they’ll meet one another in a final. Boca Juniors currently sit in eighth in the Superliga Argentina, eight points of Racing Club’s leading pace, while River Plate are 10th, 10 points adrift. The Copa Libertadores showdown provides both clubs with their best chance of winning silverware this year.

What Boca and River have proved to fans of the Libertadores is that it’s far more important not to lose in knockout tournaments than it is to win. Among the 16 teams to reach the knockout stage of the tournament, River and Boca were the only two to boast a losing percentage below 10 percent.

Boca Juniors have scored 50 percent more goals than their intercity rivals, but they also allow 50 percent more. Between the two clubs, River Plate and Boca have combined to lose just twice in their first 24 matches. So while both sides only win at a 50-percent clip, they also take away at least a point more than 90 percent of the time.

Who will emerge with the advantage coming out of the first leg? You’ll definitely want to carve out time to watch the match live on Saturday afternoon.

Cristian Pavon, the 22-year-old attacking star who played in all four of Argentina’s matches at the 2018 World Cup, has been the star of the Copa Libertadores this year. Pavon boasts three goals and six assists, as he has been the linchpin for a high-functioning Boca offense. He has helped boost the profile of players like Ramon Abila, who currently leads Boca in scoring with four goals.

River Plate, on the other hand, have been more successful on the back end than the front end. Goalkeeper Franco Armani has posted seven clean sheets in his first dozen matches of the tournament, and he’ll hope to keep Boca Juniors from pouring on the goals in front of a stacked home crowd at La Bombonera.

So far in the knockout stage of the 2018 Copa Libertadores, Boca Juniors have won 2-0 in the first leg at home in every round. That will likely be the case once again, as Boca get the advantage a fortnight ahead of the return match at their rival’s home further north in the Belgrano district.