Who will win this weekend’s Superclasico?
Boca Juniors vs River Plate – The Superclasico
Boca Juniors and River Plate are the two most famous clubs in Argentina, so it stands to reason that the Superclasico is one of the most-watched sporting events in South America. In the last four seasons, the Primera Division has been won by either Boca Juniors or River Plate. This goes to show just how pivotal the Superclasico fixture can be in deciding the next champion of Argentina.
Boca Juniors have won the Primera Division title five times in the last nine seasons and remain the dominant force in Argentine football. However, during that time, River Plate have also claimed two titles of their own. In fact, Los Millonarios have lifted two of the last three trophies and it is Boca Juniors’ turn to try and fight back and reclaim the division title this year. Los Xeneizes only managed a seventh-place finish last season, so will be looking to close the gap on their arch-rivals again in 2024. That could start with the fixture at home this weekend.
The History of Boca Juniors vs River Plate
The Superclasico is one of the most popular and respected derbies in world football, thanks to its long history and the fierce rivalry on the pitch. The name comes from the Spanish ‘clasico’, which means derby, and the word ‘super’, implying that Boca Juniors and River Plate are the two biggest teams in the country. Statistics show that around 70% of all football fans in Argentina either support Boca or River Plate.
Both Boca Juniors and River Plate were founded in the La Boca region of Buenos Aires, which is known as a working-class dockland area. River were founded in 1901, with Boca coming along four years later. However, while Los Xeneizes remained in Lo Boca, River Plate moved to Nunez in 1925, which is considered a more affluent area of Buenos Aires. Many accused River Plate of abandoning their roots, which is where the nickname Los Millonarios comes from – The Millionaires. In contrast, Los Xeneizes – which means Genoese – is a nod to Boca Juniors’ Italian immigrant origins. To this day, Boca are considered to be the working-class people’s club of Argentina.
So, not only is Superclasico the most-watched event in Argentine football because it involves the two biggest clubs, but there is also a very real and deep-rooted rivalry there. The first official game between the two sides took place back in 1913 in the Primera Division, with River Plate claiming a 2-1 victory. However, there were unofficial games between the rivals predating this fixture, with Boca Juniors technically winning the first-ever meeting as early as 1908.
The Superclasico is watched by fans all over Argentina, but also all across the world. It is known for the spicy challenges on the pitch, passion from the stands, and fierce confrontation between both players and fans. This is perhaps best demonstrated by the 2018 Copa Libertadores final, which had to be moved to the Bernabeu in Madrid because the Boca Juniors team bus was ambushed by supporters.
In 2011, River Plate were relegated from the top division of Argentine football, much to the delight of thousands of Boca fans who celebrated the event. The Los Xeneizes even came up with a song to mock their rivals – although it didn’t last for too long as River Plate were promoted once again the following season.
Both Boca and River claim to have the biggest fanbase in Argentina. Boca Juniors say they have almost 200,000 members, with River Plate stating a similar number – but it is often hard to prove which has the best founding as Argentina’s most supported team.
Perhaps the only time Boca Juniors and River Plate fans have come together in their history came during the passing of Argentine football legend, Diego Maradona. Although Maradona had spent two spells with Boca during his career, he was such an important figure in Argentina that fans across the country fell into mourning. Fans of both Boca and River could be seen hugging and reminiscing on the life of their fallen legend together.
There have been some iconic Superclasico matches across the years, but some certainly stick in the mind more than others. For Boca fans, the May 2000 match at La Bombonera stadium is particularly famous, as a star-studded River Plate went in as favourites, but walked away 3-0 losers, with Juan Roman Riquelme masterminding a mesmerising Boca victory. And, of course, how could we mention the Superclasico without nodding to the 1981 match that saw Maradona write his name in the annals of the fixture? The mercurial Argentine controlled a cross from the right wing and dribbled past the keeper before tapping the ball into an empty net, with Boca winning 3-0 on the day. Perhaps one of the best Boca Juniors goals of all time.
The Venue
La Bombonera – Saturday 21 September. Kick-off: 16:00 local time.
La Bombonera first opened back in 1940 after two years of construction. Since then, it has been the iconic home of Boca Juniors, located in the heart of the La Boca neighbourhood in Buenos Aires. The stadium holds 57,200 people and is guaranteed to be packed out for the derby against River Plate this weekend.
Although the stadium is officially called Alberto Jose Armando Stadium, it has long since been affectionately referred to as La Bombonera – which translates to ‘box of chocolates’. This nickname dates all the way back to the 1930s when the stadium was being designed by architect Viktor Sulcic. When Sulcic received a box of chocolates for his birthday, he decided to take it into design meetings because it looked so much like the stadium he and his team were creating. Ever since then, La Bombonera has stuck as a nickname. The name was even said by club executives during the opening of the ground in 1940.
The last Superclasico to take place at Boca Juniors’ home stadium was a Copa de la Liga match in 2023, which ended in a 2-0 victory for River Plate. However, generally speaking, Boca have a good recent record at home to their rivals. In the last eight fixtures at La Bombonera, Los Xeneizes have won four and drawn three, losing just once to River Plate.
Form Guide
Both Boca Juniors and River Plate have both had a mixed start to the 2024 season after 14 games. While they would ordinarily both be pushing for the top spot this far into the season, they currently sit in 10th and 9th respectively. Boca Juniors lost 2-1 to third-place Racing Club last time out, while River Plate beat second-place Atletico Tucuman 4-1. This ended a run of five straight draws for River, who have now collected seven points from their last possible 15. At the very least, they have remained unbeaten in this time. Boca Juniors, on the other hand, have picked up eight points from their last five games – two wins, two draws, and one defeat. Coming into the game this weekend, the two clubs are level on 21 points, with only three goal difference separating them in the table. In simple terms, the form guide could not be closer!
Team News and Injury News
Let’s take a look at some of the team and injury news as we head into this 2024/25 Superclasico derby.
Boca Juniors: Boca Juniors come into the clash with a few injury absentees. Lucas Blondel has been out with a torn cruciate ligament since March 2024. Edinson Cavani has also been a long-term absentee, with the Uruguayan goal machine suffering a muscle injury one month ago. Brian Aguirre remains out with a sprain but is expected back in October. There is a chance for both Gary Medel, who missed last match with a knock, and Luis Advincula (Achilles tendon problems) to return for the match against River Plate. Nicolas Figal is fit to play the Superclasico but is at risk of a future suspension after picking up four yellow cards in just six appearances this season.
River Plate: River Plate are looking much healthier than their rivals heading into the weekend. Pity Martinez has been out since January with a cruciate ligament tear – but even he is expected to return in the next month. Rodrigo Aliendro has missed three games with a shoulder injury. Apart from that, River Plate should have a full complement of players to choose from this weekend. They also have no players at risk of suspension at the moment.
Players to Watch
The games between Boca Juniors and River Plate are often decided by a single goal, so the forwards could be the difference for both sides this weekend.
Miguel Borja has been on fire for River Plate so far this season, scoring 27 goals and assisting another four across all competitions. Facundo Colidio has also been a potent goal threat for Los Millonarios, scoring 12 goals of his own in 33 appearances this season. Even at the back, both Paulo Diaz and Leandro Gonzalez Pirez have popped up with a couple of goals for River this year. In terms of creativity, Nacho Fernandez is the man to watch, having racked up 10 assists this season.
For Boca Juniors, Edinson Cavani has been the most dangerous attacker in 2024, but he will miss the match through injury. Having said that, Miguel Merentiel has more than carried the goalscoring burden, scoring 15 goals this season. The creative spark for Boca has come from an unlikely source, with Lautaro Blanco notching nine assists from left-back. Kevin Zenon also has seven assists from left midfield, so the left side is definitely an area to watch for Los Xeneizes.
Head-to-head Record
Boca Juniors and River Plate have played each other a total of 338 times in their history. Boca have won 126 of those matches, with River Plate claiming 107 and 105 ending in draws – meaning the rivalry is pretty evenly matched on paper. In the Primera Division, the arch-rivals have faced off 214 times, with 78 wins for Boca and 71 wins for River Plate.
Los Xeneizes and Los Millonarios play against each other regularly in Argentina, with fixtures in the Primera Division, Copa de la Liga, Copa Argentina, Libertadores and the Liga Professional. In the last ten meetings between Boca Juniors and River Plate, Boca have won five compared to River Plate’s three victories. However, two of Boca’s wins were on penalties in knockout competitions. In those ten fixtures, only one was separated by more than a goal – a 2-0 victory for River Plate in 2023.
Potential Implications
Both Boca Juniors and River Plate fans will hope that the Superclasico this season could decide whether the trophy ends up. Neither are leading the division right now, but they have won the last four seasons between them. As such, it could very well be a top-of-the-table six-pointer this Saturday, as Boca look to not only put another three points on the table, but also guarantee that River Plate drop three of their own.
Predicted Line-Ups
Let’s take a look at how we expect Boca Juniors and River Plate to line up for the title six-pointer on Saturday.
Boca Juniors: Romero; Blanco, Anselmino, Lema, Barinaga; Zenon, Medina, Fernandez, Miramon; Merentiel, Gimenez.
River Plate: Armani; Acuna, Gonzalez, Pezzella, Bustos; Fernandez, Kranevitter, Simon; Echeverri, Borja, Meza.
Boca Juniors vs River Plate Odds
Betsson is currently offering a wide range of odds on Boca Juniors vs River Plate ahead of this weekend’s top-of-the-table clash!
Boca Juniors to win: 2.55
Draw: 2.92
River Plate to win: 3.05
You can check the full range of odds for Boca Juniors vs River Plate via Betsson HERE.
Score Prediction
There doesn’t tend to be too much to separate these sides when they face off, with the vast majority of their recent encounters being decided by a single goal. However, Boca Juniors go into the match as home favourites, so we are predicting them to edge the latest Superclasico.
Score prediction: Boca Juniors 2-1 River Plate
PS: The odds might have changed since the writing and publication of this article.
Last Updated: 19.09.2024
