- Tempers boil over on derby day
- Dramatic end to a crunch clash
- Players & coaches involved in scuffle
WHAT HAPPENED? A mass brawl erupted at Estadio Monumental in the 93rd minute after River star Miguel Borja converted a dramatic penalty. Most of the 83,000 in attendance erupted in delight as the ball hit the net, but Boca keeper Sergio Romero did not take kindly to supposedly provocative antics from arch-rivals and a huge melee resulted in three players from each side being sent off, as well as Boca coach Jorge Almiron.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE: Agustin Palavecino, Ezequiel Ignacio Centurion and Elias Gomez of River, and Miguel Merentiel, Ezequiel Fernandez and Nicolas Valentini of Boca all saw red, with River captain Enzo Perez saying afterwards: “Terrible madness came out from all sides, and luckily we were able to keep three important points in a Superclasico. It is not good for the spectacle. There were a lot of people who got involved from both sides, the coaching staff, players who were not in the squad. We try to separate, calm down, so that some go one way and others the other, but when there are so many people who don't have to be on the pitch, with the nervousness from outside, it's difficult.”
WHAT NEXT? Stoppage-time ended up lasting 19 minutes, with River coach Martin Demichelis saying: “I appreciate Sergio (Romero) and I love him very much. He knows me a lot as a person on the pitch and off it. I don't know what he was referring to with what he said. Sometimes the passion overcomes everything because of how the result was given. In Argentina we can't stand losing - (we'd rather) let them kill us.”
The victory leaves River nine points clear at the Argentine Primera Division, while Boca are languishing down in 13th.
