River Plate routs Barracas to reach quarterfinals of Argentine league
Buenos Aires (Argentina): River Plate advanced to the quarterfinals of Argentina's Primera Division Apertura tournament with a 3-0 home victory over Barracas Central on Monday. Paulo Diaz opened the scoring when he pounced on a loose ball to fire home from six yards, and Ignacio Fernandez doubled the lead with a first-time strike into the far corner after Franco Mastantuono's cross.
Argentina World Cup winner Marcos Acuna put the result beyond doubt by thumping a 25-yard drive that took a deflection before rebounding in off the right post, reports Xinhua.
"We knew it was going to be tough, but our players showed that they were prepared for this match," River Plate manager Marcelo Gallardo told a post-match news conference.
"Thankfully, we were able to score an early goal and then another one at the start of the second half. We managed to play our game despite the difficulty presented to us by our rival."
River's next opponent will be Platense, which progressed to the last eight by overcoming Racing Club 1-0 on Saturday.
Currently, River Plate are in second position in the points table in Apertura, Group B with 31 points from 16 matches. River Plate trail leaders Rosario Central by four points with Independiente in third position with 29 points in the 15-team Group B.
Argentinos Juniors. lead Group A with 33 points, with Boca Juniors in second place on goal difference. Racing Club are third with 28 points in the 15-team group.
The Apertura or "Opening" tournament of the Primera Division is half of Argentina's split-season format, which was reintroduced in 2025 after its last implementation in 2012. It runs from January to June and is followed by the Clausura or "Closing" tournament from July to December.
Club Atlético River Plate, commonly known as River Plate, is considered one of the Big Five of Argentine football, along with Independiente, San Lorenzo, Boca Juniors, and Racing Club.
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