River Plate survive Banfield comeback to win 3-2

River Plate defeated Banfield 3-2 at Florencio Sola in Buenos Aires on Sunday, securing victory in the Liga Profesional Argentina Clausura - 7 fixture. River led 2-0 at half-time before Banfield mounted a late comeback, but the visitors held on for all three points.

River establish control before the break

River took the lead in the 32nd minute when S. Driussi converted a chance assisted by A. Correa. The visitors doubled their advantage nine minutes later, with T. Almada scoring from the penalty spot to send River into half-time with a two-goal cushion.

The first half reflected River’s control of the game. Leonardo Ponzio’s 4-2-3-1 side had 62% possession and completed 408 of 495 passes, while Banfield recorded 203 accurate passes from 284. River also created more opportunities, finishing with 18 total shots to Banfield’s 13 and 12 efforts from inside the box compared with seven for the home team.

Banfield respond but fall short

Banfield changed the momentum after the interval. B. Sepulveda, introduced in the 57th minute alongside L. Pinero, pulled one goal back in the 64th minute. He was booked two minutes later, but continued to influence the match and finished the scoring for Banfield in the 84th minute, heading or converting a chance assisted by L. Pinero according to the recorded event.

River restored its two-goal advantage in the 69th minute. A. Correa scored after an assist from T. Galvan, shortly before River replaced S. Driussi with L. Beltran and G. Montiel with G. Gonzalez. Banfield’s second goal made the closing stages more competitive, but Pedro Troglio’s team could not find an equaliser after further changes involving T. Adoryan, D. Zalazar, N. Pais and F. Alvarez.

Statistics underline River’s superiority

The final score was closer than several of the underlying numbers. River led shots on target 8-5, total shots 18-13 and expected goals 2.92-1.17. Banfield did win the corner count 4-2, while both teams had six shots off target. River’s passing accuracy was 82%, compared with Banfield’s 71%, although the home side’s late response kept the result in doubt.

Table impact and standout performer

River entered the round 14th in Clausura Group B with four points from six matches, while Banfield were 11th with seven points. The victory gives River three additional points, whereas Banfield add nothing from the fixture, leaving their Clausura totals at seven and seven respectively after the match. The result also gives River a positive addition to a recent form sequence that had included a draw in their latest listed game.

Sepulveda was the standout performer by rating, earning 8.2 after playing 36 minutes and scoring both Banfield goals. Correa was also influential for River with one goal and one assist, while Almada added a goal and two shots on target.