It was another glorified match for Ariel Ortega. Once again, the ‘Burrito’ saved the night for the Millonarios. His equalizer at the 92nd minute of the match allowed River to stay clear of a loss and prove to Estudiantes that the game ends at the final whistle. The mediaconsidered this a weak match based on both club campaigns, but a match is never boring when there is prestige to play.
Estudiantes, with Juan Veron and company, visited the Monumental Stadium in hopes of a win. The Copa Libertadores champions have had a poor campaign locally. They figured that River’s weak image, as-of-late, would be an easy three points. The first half of the match showcased a mixed River. Ups and downs in various sectors of the field allowed Estudiantes to score first. River was down in the 30th minute of the first half, and the team had a difficult time bouncing back. Matias Almeyda maintained control in the midfield, allowing River’s forwards to move up freely, but only a few chances were deemed worthy.
Through out the second half, it was River who made the extra effort to showcase some football on the field. Estudiantes decided to wait for counter-attacks, switching to a more-defensive strategy against the Millonarios. River took advantage of this, and slowly gained more strength with its forwards. Diego Buonanotte and Ariel Ortega were all over the place, trying their best to create a chance to score. As the minutes the dwindled, hope was fading away until Ariel Ortega scored a sloppy, rebound goal into the net. The idol allowed the fans to recover from a potential loss, and conform to a tie. River needed this win, like many others in the past few months, but a draw is better is better than a loss.