Expectation continues to grow inside the Estadio Monumental as River Plate followed up their successful pre-season Superclasico victories with a well deserved 1-0 win over Gimnasia. Leonardo Ponzio’s well placed, long range effort in the first half was sufficient but in truth the gap could have been greater. Boca Juniors began their campaign with a difficult away trip to Rosario to face Newell’s Old Boys but despite Newell’s handing a debut to Ever Banega, Boca managed to earn a valuable goalless draw. Earlier, Rosario Central kicked off their season with a victory, Hernán Encina’s header enough to earn a 1-0 win over Quilmes, who remain in danger of relegation. READ MORE TO SEE THE GOALS….

Quilmes  0 – 1  Rosario Central

Newell’s Old Boys  0 – 0  Boca Juniors
Both sides created chances and so perhaps a share of the points was just with both sides coming close to being able to claim all 3 points. Maxi Rodriguez should have had a penalty when he was scythed down by Juan Forlín but referee, Mauro Vigliano thought differently and for Boca, Fernando Gago came close late on but his shot went agonisingly wide.
Carlos Bianchi will certainly be the happier manager after what was a poor pre-season. A draw away to Newell’s should prove to be a good result and a clean sheet will please everyone at the club after the defence continued to make the same costly mistakes over the summer that they made last season.
For Newell’s it is early days, Banega showed glimpses of his talents and should prove to be a great acquisition. However, the blank in front of goal suggests that it was the shortage in attack and not midfield that Newell’s should have addressed over the summer.

River Plate  1 – 0  Gimnasia La Plata
River’s defensive stability from the Torneo Inicial continued in the Estadio Monumental on Sunday night but with the new look attack of Fernando Cavanaghi, Teo Guttierez and Manuel Lanzini appears to have slightly more creative spark than last season’s version.
Lanzini and Cavanaghi were both guilty of missing chances, the latter coming the closest when his shot came back off the upright when clean through and so it was midfielder, Leonardo Ponzio who was the match winner. His long range strike seemed to catch Fernando Monetti unsighted and nestled in the bottom corner.
River are still a work in progress and this was just the opening game but with most the title challengers having to juggle Copa Libertadores commitments, River could take advantage.