A Boca icon praised Santi Beltrán, what did Pato say of River's keeper? | OneFootball

The idol and world champion with Boca highlighted the level of River’s young goalkeeper, compared him to Oscar Ustari’s early days, and emphasized his personality even with Franco Armani around.

Santiago Beltrán keeps gaining recognition for his performances at River, and this time he received unexpected backing: Roberto Abbondanzieri, Boca idol and winner of multiple titles, praised the current form of the youngster who took advantage of Franco Armani’s injury to make River’s goal his own.

Speaking about Beltrán’s current form, the historic Xeneize goalkeeper praised him and compared him to the early days of another standout in the position. “His emergence is like (Oscar) Ustari’s. His arrival was something very new at Independiente, but he has a maturity and calmness that surprise me,” he said in an interview with DSports.

Of course, Pato’s praise is not exaggerated at all. Ever since he was called into the starting lineup, the 21-year-old has responded with confidence and several decisive saves, to the point of becoming one of the standout players in the Núñez side, with game-saving interventions in different matches. It is therefore no surprise that River decided to improve his contract and protect him with a 100 million euro release clause.

The former Boca player also focused on the personality the goalkeeper showed during the match against Gimnasia, in which Armani was on the bench. The situation did not seem to affect him, and he stayed calm throughout the game.

“Yesterday I was watching the match and I saw Armani, a world champion, on the bench with that look that shows you always want to be playing, and I said: ‘How calmly Beltrán played in goal with the world champion behind him,’” Pato stressed.

For a former goalkeeper as decorated as Abbondanzieri to praise Beltrán is no small thing. Pato was not only an idol of River’s eternal rival, but during his time with Xeneize he also won the Copa Libertadores three times, the Intercontinental Cup twice, the Copa Sudamericana twice, and the Recopa Sudamericana once, in addition to six domestic titles. Without a doubt, the man from Santa Fe left a legacy that is hard to match as a player, and his opinion carries real authority.

The praise from the Boca idol reflects the impact the young goalkeeper has made on Argentine football. His performances have not only sparked excitement among River fans and earned him a place on the 55-man preliminary Argentina squad for the next World Cup, but also recognition from historic figures on the other side of the rivalry.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.