In a match that simmered with intensity right from the kickoff, River Plate managed a narrow 1-0 victory over Racing Club in the Copa Argentina quarterfinals on Thursday night at Rosario's Gigante de Arroyito. The win, propelled by a sharp finish from Maximiliano Salas early in the first half, propels the Millonarios into the semifinals, where they'll face Independiente Rivadavia next. For Racing, it was another frustrating exit, their defense holding firm but ultimately undone by a moment of brilliance.
The game started briskly, with both sides probing defenses in the humid Rosario air. Salas struck in the 12th minute, latching onto a Colidio cross at the far post to beat Racing's keeper Cambeses. Indeed, that goal set the tone, though River couldn't build on it immediately. Racing pushed back, Almendra testing Armani with a curling effort, but the Millonarios' backline, anchored by Pezzella, stood resolute. However, the second half dragged into a gritty affair, marked by heated exchanges rather than flowing play.
Tensions boiled over in stoppage time when Racing's Maravilla Martínez picked up a second yellow for a reckless challenge on Colidio, leaving his side with ten men. It was a needless dismissal in a fixture already laced with friction—Acuña and Quintero involved in sideline scuffles that the referee, Rapallini, struggled to contain at times. River, under Gallardo's watchful eye, absorbed the pressure without flinching, their counter-threats keeping Racing on edge. Salas' goal proved decisive, but the match exposed vulnerabilities on both ends, with Racing's attack lacking punch despite possession edges.
Marcelo Gallardo's side now eyes a deeper run in the tournament, their third semifinal appearance in five years. Racing, meanwhile, heads back to league duties with questions over discipline and finishing. Yet, in Argentine football's cauldron, such derbies always leave room for what-ifs—what might the outcome have been without that early strike?