River Plate’s hopes of reaching the 2017 Copa Libertadores remain intact after Marcelo Gallardo’s side cruised to a 3-0 win over Unión in Mar del Plata to reach the Copa Argentina semi-finals.

Sebastián Driussi’s incredible form continued and it took the 20-year-old just five minutes to nod River ahead after Unión’s defence left him virtually unmarked from Gonzalo Martínez’s corner.

The game’s controversial moment came almost on the hour mark when Lucas Gamba raced in behind the River defence and was clattered by Augusto Batalla after heading the ball over the goalkeeper. While El Tatengue screamed for a red card, referee Federico Beligoy’s view was that it was nothing more than an unintentional coming together and this prompted Unión goalkeeper Nereo Champagne to gesture that he had been paid.

Polémica con la salida de Batalla. Beligoy no cobró https://t.co/qvxHsOvUxM

— TyC Sports (@TyCSports) October 28, 2016

River’s fears were eased in the 73rd minute when Joaquín Arzura headed in his first for the club and in stoppage time Lucas Alario added a third on the counter.

Unión’s players raged at full-time and Emanuel Britez was shown a red card in the meleé but it is River who await the winners of the quarter-final between Gimnasia and San Lorenzo.

River Plate  3 – 0  Unión