River Plate secure critical Copa Libertadores win at Barcelona SC | OneFootball

Argentine giants River Plate were made to work on their travels tonight but still were capable of coming away with a hard-fought 3-2 win at Barcelona SC.

Scorers: Rivero 15', Quarta 49' (OG); Driussi 7', Colidio 26', Mastantuono 48'

Marcelo Gallardo's Los Millonarios outfit got off to the perfect start on the night when Sebastián Driussi opened the scoring in the 7th minute with a calm finish inside the area.

Barcelona drew level on the scoresheet eight minutes later through an inch-perfect glancing header from 16 yards out by veteran Uruguayan forward Octavio Rivero.

Former Argentina youth international Facundo Colidio would restore order in the 26th minute, however, with a finish that mirrored Driussi's earlier strike to put River back into the lead.

The night would go from bad to worse for Toreros, who would be forced into an early substitution, replacing first-choice shot-stopper José Contreras with Ignacio de Arruabarrena due to injury.

River would extend their lead by a two-goal margin through Argentine starlet Franco Mastantuono who only needed to apply a simple tap-in from inside six yards after a fine ball across the face of an open goal from substitute Miguel Borja.

But the home side would pull a goal back instantly in near-identical fashion, with the close-range finish being credited as an own goal by Lucas Martínez Quarta.

Despite 40 minutes remaining on the match clock, River hung on to their one-goal lead to take a commanding lead in Group B, with a chance to seal progression next time out when they lock horns with Independiente del Valle.

📸 MARCOS PIN - AFP or licensors