It has been an excellent weekend for Boca Juniors after netting a last minute winner against Gimnasia on Saturday, both San Lorenzo and River Plate failed to secure three points meaning Rodolfo Arruabarrena’s side stretched out a slight lead at the top of the table. San Lorenzo were held by Banfield in the Nuevo Gasómetro and River Plate’s post-Libertadores lull continued with Huracán sneaking away from the Monumental with a deserved point.
In Bajo Flores, Edgardo Bauza’s title-chasing San Lorenzo produced a below par performance against a well drilled Banfield side and saw themselves slip two points behind Boca. The most noteworthy incident came with a little over five minutes remaining when defender Emmanuel Más was shown a red card for almost decapitating Gonzalo Bettini. The most recent call-up to Gerardo Martino’s Argentina squad could have little argument after managing to leave a boot print on the face of Bettini. San Lorenzo face Boca next weekend in a match that could potentially decide the title.
Later in the Monumental, River Plate were once again rather lethargic as it would appear the Copa Libertadores hangover is tough to shake, just as it was for San Lorenzo twelve months earlier. Gonzalo ‘Pity’ Martínez headed Marcelo Gallardo’s side in front against his former club despite the obvious interference of Carlos Sánchez in an offside position but Huracán responded before half-time when Daniel Montenegro’s deflected effort found a way past Marcelo Barovero. River never really found another gear and the only highlight of a fairly drab second half was the malfunction of the pitch’s sprinkler system. Three without a win now for River and eleven points behind Boca (albeit with a game in hand) means that River title challenge is all but over. With a superclásico in two weeks, Los Millonarios may yet derail rivals Boca.
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