La Número 12
·19 April 2026
Player ratings from Boca's Superclásico win over River

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Yahoo sportsLa Número 12
·19 April 2026

The packed run of matches didn’t weigh on Boca. They remain on the right track and full of confidence. Wearing the shirt with pride, they beat River by the slimmest of margins at the Monumental, whose pitch was not in the best condition after the AC/DC concert. Despite the holes and sandy patches, Leandro Paredes showed all his class.
The Xeneize were clinical and superior throughout the first half of the Superclásico, led by their captain, and in the second half they knew how to defend with authority. They even had chances to extend the lead. The player ratings from Boca’s win in Núñez.
A solid performance from Brey in his first Superclásico as Boca’s goalkeeper. He came in under scrutiny because of a few common mistakes caused by a lack of continuity, but against River he looked secure between the posts. He dealt with several crosses well. A great save with his knees on Martínez Quarta’s charge stands out. He still needs to improve his footwork.
After a decent showing in the Libertadores, Chelo had several difficulties when defending against Huevo Acuña. He struggled with a number of runs from the left-back. He gave away easy balls and came close to making a fool of himself.
An exquisite match from Boca’s center-back. A beast in defense. He won absolutely everything at the back. Impassable. He completely pocketed Maxi Salas, Subiabre, and Colidio. They tried to get past him from every angle and always ran into the solidity of Boca’s No. 2. He made a great stop against the former Racing forward.
A very solid performance from the left-footer. He fought for every ball and combines very well with Di Lollo. He went from being questioned for his poor form to regaining it. He once again made it clear why he is a starter.
Strong in defense and solid in attack. He was tasked with marking Kendy Páez first and then Gonzalo Montiel, and on several occasions he won the one-on-one duels and completely pocketed them. In the first half, he waited and subtly nicked the ball away from the Ecuadorian, who could do nothing against Blanco.
He gets better with every match. Well positioned in the middle of the park, and the nickname “Firefighter” fits him perfectly. He broke up several River attacks through the middle. At times he dared to push forward and, near the end of the first half, he had a shot from outside the box that went just wide of Beltrán’s goal, with the keeper rooted to the spot.
Even while injured, he makes the difference on the pitch. He took responsibility for the penalty, smashed it past Beltrán, and celebrated like Román with the Topo Gigio. In the opening minutes he played a 50-meter pass for Merentiel, but it never sat right for him. He cut out several attacks and, by the end of the first half, had become Boca’s standout player. Two outside-of-the-foot passes to the Uruguayan, one of which led to the penalty.

Paredes scored the match’s only goal. Photo: Marcos Brindicci/Getty Images
A positive outing from the Ruso. Strong in the tackle and with great attacking instinct. Whenever he had the chance, he looked to get forward. He had a powerful shot that River’s goalkeeper reacted well to. He always made himself available as a passing option to lay it off and start moves.
He looked frustrated for much of the game. Since the plays that had come off for him in previous matches weren’t working this time, he showed his annoyance. A bit inaccurate and uncomfortable. He was substituted in the second half just as he was slowly beginning to improve.
Compared to previous matches, he raised his level considerably. He still needs to be more precise in front of goal to regain his confidence. He had three one-on-ones in which Paredes put him through on Beltrán’s goal, but it never sat right for him. One of his shots went just past the right post and, on the next play, Boca won the penalty.
He was always up for the battle. More than anything, he focused on fighting with River’s center-backs and Huevo Acuña, because of his history with the club. He was booked after 12 minutes and did not care one bit—he kept playing in his all-action style.
He came on very lively to take advantage of River being pushed up in attack. He had three chances to extend the lead, but all the shots fell onto his left foot and went straight into the hands of the Millonario keeper. He even tried to find Giménez to put the Superclásico to bed.
In the few minutes he played, replacing Boca’s captain, he showed his class. With his first involvement, he launched a long ball for Changuito Zeballos.
Too few minutes to be rated. Giménez, with grit, won a few duels against Rivero and Martínez Quarta, the latter drawing a booking after being fouled on the line.
He planned the match to perfection. During the first half he gave the ball to River, asked his team to stay compact for the recovery, and to leave Paredes free to pull the strings as he pleased. He made the right substitutions to bring freshness to midfield and attack and take advantage of the opponent’s defensive weaknesses. He has managed two Superclásicos and won both.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.
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