Riverplate Clinch Copa Libertadores After Edging Out Boca 

Ten-man Boca Juniors will feel they have been denied justice after bitter rivals River Plate beat them to the 2018 Copa Libertadores title 5-3 on aggregate, as extra-time goals from Juan Quintero and Gonzalo Martinez secured a 3-1 win in Sunday’s controversial rearranged final second leg in Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu.
The match was suspended twice in November due to an attack on Boca’s team bus by River supporters, but the Xeneizes’ demands to be handed the title fell on deaf ears and River will return to Argentina with a fourth Libertadores crown.
The opening 45 minutes grew progressively more fiery as half-time approached, with Boca ultimately deservedly edging ahead through Dario Benedetto’s brilliantly worked goal in the 44th minute.
A similarly applaudable Lucas Pratto goal levelled things after the interval to secure an extra 30 minutes, and Wilmar Barrios’ sending off handed River the initiative, as Quintero gloriously put them ahead and then Martinez rounded things off in the closing stages.