River Plate’s was defeated 4-2 in a penalty shootout by Platense in a thrilling Torneo Apertura match on May 20, 2025, at the Estadio Monumental.
The match ended 1-1 after extra time, with Ronaldo Martínez scoring for Platense and Franco Mastantuono equalizing for River Plate in the dying minutes of the game.
River Plate’s manager, Marcelo Gallardo, expressed frustration after the match, stating, “More than concern, it’s the frustration of not being able to reach the final, which was the objective. I have to recognize two things: our performance, which wasn’t as fluent as it had been; and the rival’s work, which made merits to not flow as a team.”
Platense’s goalkeeper, Juan Pablo Cozzani, was the hero of the match, making several crucial saves, including one from a Miguel Ángel Borja penalty.
According to an article by Olé, the team’s coach Favio Orsi, highlighted that his team was ready for such high-pressure games and had a good understanding of how to play against strong teams.
In related news, the quarterfinals of the Torneo Apertura have been marked by upsets, with Independiente, San Lorenzo, and Huracán securing semifinal spots as away teams.
Olé reported that Platense had previously eliminated Racing in Avellaneda and was looking to pull off another upset against River Plate.
The teams’ probable lineups were:
River Plate – Franco Armani; Fabricio Bustos, Lucas Martínez Quarta, Paulo Díaz, Marcos Acuña; Nacho Fernández, Enzo Pérez, Kevin Castaño; Franco Mastantuono, Sebastián Driussi, and Facundo Colidio.
Platense – Juan Pablo Cozzani; Juan Ignacio Saborido, Ignacio Vázquez, Oscar Salomón; Guido Mainero, Rodrigo Herrera, Leonel Picco, Tomás Silva; Augusto Lotti, Ronaldo Martínez, and Vicente Taborda.
The referee for the match was Yael Falcón Pérez. The penalty shootout results were as follows:
– Ignacio Vázquez (PLA): scored
– Franco Mastantuono (RIV): scored
– Juan Ignacio Saborido (PLA): saved by Armani
– Miguel Ángel Borja (RIV): scored
– Guido Mainero (PLA): scored
– Kevin Castaño (RIV): hit the post
– Franco Zapiola (PLA): scored, retaken and scored
– Sebastián Driussi (RIV): saved by Cozzani
– Ignacio Schor (PLA): scored
Platense will now play against San Lorenzo in the semifinals of the Torneo Apertura. The team’s manager, Favio Orsi, expressed satisfaction with the win and praised his team’s performance under pressure.
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