River Plate End Argentinos JRS’ Perfect Clausura Start with 2-0 Victory

River Plate End Argentinos’ Perfect Clausura Start at Home

River Plate secured a 2-0 victory over Argentinos JRS at Estadio Mâs Monumental, earning their first points of the Liga Profesional Argentina Clausura campaign. Gonzalo Montiel opened the scoring before half-time, while Ángel Correa’s 89th-minute penalty completed the win and ended Argentinos’ perfect start.

River Plate Secure First Clausura Victory

River Plate entered Clausura - Round 5 bottom of Group B with no points from four matches, but their disciplined performance delivered a much-needed breakthrough. The result moved them to three points, while Argentinos JRS remained on 12 points after suffering their first defeat of the campaign.

Eduardo Coudet’s 4-2-3-1 proved more efficient than Nicolás Diez’s 4-3-3 in the decisive areas. River did not dominate possession, but they protected their lead effectively and finished with the clearer attacking threat, reflected in their 1.58 expected goals compared with Argentinos’ 0.63.

Montiel Opens Scoring Before Half-Time

The opening goal arrived in the 37th minute, when Gonzalo Montiel put River Plate ahead. It was the key moment of a first half in which the hosts established a narrow advantage and carried a 1-0 lead into the interval.

River’s attacking efficiency contrasted with Argentinos’ greater control of the ball. The visitors completed 423 of 505 passes and held 59% possession, but River generated seven of their eight total shots from inside the box, creating more threatening opportunities despite seeing less of the ball.

Correa’s Late Penalty Seals the Result

Argentinos JRS continued to search for a way back after the break, yet their attempts rarely tested the River defence. They recorded nine shots overall but managed only one on target, while River produced three shots on target and maintained control of the result.

Correa settled the match in the 89th minute by converting a penalty, giving River a two-goal cushion late on. He was the standout performer with a match rating of 8.2 after 94 minutes, scoring once and registering one shot on target.

Possession Advantage Fails to Lift Argentinos JRS

The statistics showed a clear possession advantage for Argentinos, who also attempted more passes and more shots than River. However, six of their nine efforts came from outside the box, while River’s superior shot locations helped explain why the hosts won comfortably despite having only 41% of the ball.

The match was evenly contested physically, with both teams committing 14 fouls. Argentinos received three yellow cards, issued to K. Gutierrez, S. Prieto and K. Coronel, while Thiago Almada was booked for River; Lucas Martínez Quarta also stood out defensively with four tackles and a 7.6 rating.