It was Boca Juniors who took the bragging rights against River Plate on Sunday’s Superclásico, with a 1-0 win thanks to a penalty by Qatar 2022-winner Leandro Paredes.

At a packed Monumental stadium and with both teams arriving on a high note, with unbeaten streaks of their own, expectations were high for either club.

River took control of the ball from the get-go, looking to impose its style on a Xeneize side that sought to exploit gaps in the rival defense, but it was Boca who scored first through a Leandro Paredes penalty.

It proved to be an important win for Boca, who achieved its first triumph at the Monumental since March 2022. The result also sees the Xeneize in third place in Group A of the 2026 Torneo Apertura. 

For River, it was the first defeat since the 1-0 loss to Vélez Sarsfield that precipitated the resignation of legendary coach Marcelo Gallardo, and the first since new coach Eduardo Coudet took over. The Millonario remains in second placed in Group B, losing ground to leader Independiente Rivadavia. 

Here are our main takeaways from Sunday’s game.

Paredes gets his first truly iconic moment

Leandro Paredes’........

© Buenos Aires Herald