It could happen and finally it did. There will be Superclásico in the quarterfinals of the League Cup. The eighth head-to-head in the last 10 years, number 21 in history, with a
favorable balance for River
, which won 13 times against
Boca
's 8 . In addition, it will be the 262nd match
,
with a
general balance in favor of Xeneize of five games
: 91 wins against 86 and 84 draws. On the other hand, on
a neutral court
- like what will happen next Sunday - they have already played 13 times, with 8 million-dollar wins, 2 boquenses and 3 draws.
Of the 20 heads-up that they played, 12 were a single match, like the two most recent, in 2021, one for the League Cup and the other for the Argentine Cup. The first ended 1-1 at La Bombonera, on May 16, and Boca won against a rival full of youth players on penalties 4 to 2. The other, on August 4 at the Unico Diego Maradona stadium in La Plata, ended 0-0 and the Ribera team won 4 to 1 in the shootout from eleven meters. After those Boca celebrations, the balance in a single match was 8 to 4 in favor of River.
But it's always good to review history. The first two duels were in the second decade of the 20th century. In 1915, in the first round of the Copa Competencia, they tied 1-1 on May 2. That game was played on the field that Boca had that year in Wilde. In addition, there was 30 minutes of overtime. Given the parity and lack of light, on May 9, in GEBA, a new match was played that River won 4 to 2.
Three years later, in the same competition and instance, the then-Dense player won 1-0 on the Racing field, where he played at home. Already in the rented era, River and Boca equaled first place in the first round of the 1937 tournament. As there were medals for the winner, a match was established between the two, which was only played on February 11, 1939. River 5 won. to 3. A detail in this meeting. José Lizhterman made his debut in Boca, scoring three goals in just 6 minutes, a record in the club's history.
The Escobar Cup is the greatest official creation that Argentine football had. It was played at the end of the tournament between the 7 best, the matches lasted 40 minutes and if there were ties it was decided by a corner. In 1942, they tied the semifinal 0-0 but River went to the final because they had one more corner kick: 3 to 2.
On the other hand, the British Competition Cup was played by all First Division teams, by direct elimination. They met in the semi-finals. On August 15, 1946, at the Gasómetro, they won 2-0 against Boca, who for the first time were able to celebrate against their classic rival.
The 1969 Metropolitano was played in two zones, like the current Cup. Both qualified and immediately met in the semifinals. On the Racing field, they played 120 minutes and no goals were scored. River passed because it had more goals in the tournament.
Three years later, in the 1972 National, they were again in different areas. And they met in the semifinals. River won 3-2 at the Vélez court on December 13.
The first final in history was for Boca. The most remembered heads-up until the arrival of the 21st century. On December 22, 1976, on the Racing field, they defined the National tournament: Boca won 1 to 0 with a goal from Chapa Suñé.
In the 80s, after the League tournament, a Pre-Liguilla Pre Libertadores was played to find the champion's companion. In 1989, both reached the round-trip final, which also required a tiebreaker after two 0-0 draws. In the decisive duel, on July 27 in Vélez, River won 2 to 1.
The AFA celebrated its centenary in 1993. And it put a Cup on the line. In the first phase of the Centenario Cup, which Gimnasia won, all the classics were played. They tied the first leg 0-0 in Boca and the rematch, in Vélez (local River), Millonario won 1-0 with a golden goal from Cuqui Silvani (116 minutes).
Entering the 90s, River had a clear advantage of 8 to 2 definitions won. And Boca's time arrived. First in the quarterfinals of the 94 Super Cup. After two draws, 0-0 and 1-1 in the Bombonera, Xeneize went through after winning the penalty shootout 5 to 4.
Six years later, the first unforgettable duel for Boca's team arrived: the quarterfinals of the 2000 Libertadores. River won the first leg 2-1 on May 17 and the second leg went to Boca 3-0 on May 24 (cano de Riquelme to Yepes and return from Palermo). The goals: Delgado, Román and the Titan.
With Carlos Bianchi again as coach, Boca redoubled their bet in the 2004 Libertadores semifinals. The first leg was 1-0 at the Bombonera and the rematch was 2-1 for River at the Monumental, but the visit was won on penalties ( 5-4). It was the day that Tevez earned the red card after the goal for charging the local fans with the little chicken gesture.
And finally the Doll arrived to River's technical leadership and the five heads-up went to his team. First, in the semifinals of the 2014 Sudamericana: 0-0 in the first leg in the Bombonera and River 1-0 in the Monumental, a goal from Pisculichi and a penalty that Barovero saved from Gigliotti.
The following year, the round of 16 of the Libertadores. In the first leg, River won 1-0 at the Monumental. A week later, they were 0-0, there was an attack with pepper spray on the River players, suspension and elimination of Boca from the tournament.
Another single-match Superclásico was the second final in history. River won the 2018 Argentine Super Cup played in Mendoza after winning 2-0. But that year has a unique memory, “the eternal final” of the Libertadores. After the 2-2 in the Bombonera and the suspension in the Monumental due to the attack on Boca's bus, everything was decided in Madrid, where River won 3 to 1.
In the following edition of the Copa Libertadores, they met again, but this time in the semifinals. In the first leg, Millo was much more than Gustavo Alfaro's team and the 2-0 win was a little disappointing. The second leg, in La Bombonera, the home team's 1-0 lead was not enough and Gallardo reached his fifth duel with a perfect record.
In 2021, the two penalty shootouts that Boca won came. Now, almost three years later, Argentine football vibrates with the classic of classics, the Superclásico, as the remembered and beloved journalist Juan José Lujambio baptized it in the 70s.