For the second consecutive year, we will have a Superclasico in the Copa Libertadores as Boca Juniors will clash against River Plate in the semi finals.
The two finalists from last season’s infamous final will play once more, this time for a place in the final. The first leg of the final was played at Boca’s la Bombonera, where the match ended in a 2-2 draw. Following much drama and at one point not even knowing if the second leg would be played, River Plate would go on to lift the Libertadores after a 3-1 win in Madrid.
Argentina’s two biggest teams will play again in the semi’s. But first they will meet in the league on Sunday at River Plate’s Monumental stadium.
Boca Juniors reached the final following a 3-0 aggregate win against LDU Quito while River Plate won 3-1 on aggregate.
River Plate will host Boca Juniors in the first leg at home on October 1 with the second leg on October 22 in Boca’s stadium.
Congratulations to Lionel MESSI on winning the UEFA Best Forward award.
Scoring 12 goals in 10 matches in the Champions League, Lionel MESSI was voted as the UEFA Best Forward of last season. As for the UEFA Player of the Year, the Argentine finished in second in the voting behind winner Virgil van DIJK of Liverpool who won the Champions League. Here were the final votes:
Virgil van DIJK – 305 points
Lionel MESSI – 207 points
Cristiano RONALDO – 74 points
ALISSON – 57 points
Sadio MANE 51 points
Mohamed SALAH – 49 points
In addition to MESSI winning the UEFA Best Striker, Liverpool goalkeeper ALISSON was voted as the best goalkeeper, Virgil van DIJK the best defender and Frenkie de JONG as the best midfielder.
Nicolas DOMINGUEZ of Velez Sarsfield is set to join Bologna.
Part of the recent Argentina national team call-up, the Velez Sarsfield midfielder is expected to fly out to Italy to complete his medical as he will make the switch over to Bologna. Playing impressively well under Gabriel HEINZE’s team, the Italian club will reportedly pay €9.5 million.
Dario BENEDETTO scored for Marseille in their 2-1 win vs. OGC Nice.
The former Boca Juniors man got his first goal for his new club, scoring against fellow Argentine goalkeeper Walter BENITEZ. BENEDETTO received the ball at rhe edge of the penalty area as his bouncing shot beat BENITEZ.
On this day in 2004, Marcelo BIELSA’s Argentina team won gold at the Athens Summer Olympic Games, winning the final 1-0 vs. Paraguay.
It was a star studded Argentina team which was sent out by coach BIELSA. Star man Carlos TEVEZ scored 8 goals in the tournament on the road to the final. Argentina’s squad consisted of the following players:
Roberto AYALA Nicolas BURDISSO Willy CABALLERO Fabricio COLOCCINI Cesar DELGADO Andres D’ALESSANDRO Leandro FERNANDEZ Luciano FIGUEROA Cristian Kily GONZALEZ Luis Lucho GONZALEZ Mariano GONZALEZ Gabriel HEINZE German LUX Javier MASCHERANO Nicolas MEDINA Clemente RODRIGUEZ Mauro ROSALES Javier SAVIOLA Carlos TEVEZ
All of the 19 players would go on to represent Argentina at senior level, with 12 of them ultimately taking part in at least one World Cup.
Argentina’s opening match was a 6-0 win against Serbia and Montenegro, a score line which they would repeat two years later in Germany at the World Cup. Cesar DELGADO, Cristian GONZALEZ, Carlos TEVEZ (two goals), Gabriel HEINZE and Mauro ROSALES would score in that match.
The second match would come against Tunisia with a modest 2-0 win, Carlos TEVEZ once more on the score sheet with Javier SAVIOLA also scoring.
Andres D’ALESSANDRO would go on to score his first goal of the tournament in the final group stage match in a 1-0 win vs. Australia.
In the quarter finals, a Carlos TEVZ hattrick and Cesar DELGADO’s second goal of the tournament were enough for a victory against Costa Rica.
Carlos TEVEZ continued to make the tournament his own, scoring a lovely goal against Italy while Luis GONZALEZ and Mauro ROSALES added one each in a 3-0 win.
Paraguay were the opponents in the final and once more Carlos TEVEZ would prove to be the hero. Scoring the lone goal in a 1-0 win as Argentina would get their first gold medal at the Summer Olympics in football.
Carlos Tevez was La Albiceleste's Athens hero, grabbing their winner in the final – one of 8⃣ goals he scored en route to finishing as the tournament's top scorer 👏pic.twitter.com/yQSyMRrm21
