River Plate edge past Banfield in tight encounter
River Plate came from behind to beat Banfield 3-2 at the Estadio Florencio Solá on Saturday in the Clausura round seven of the Argentine Professional League. The visitors took an early lead through goals from Sebastián Driussi in the 32nd minute and a penalty by Thiago Almada 41 minutes in. Banfield fought back with two strikes from Bruno Sepulveda, but Ángel Correa's second-half goal sealed the result for River Plate.
And here's the thing — this was a match that swung on a few sharp moments rather than any sustained dominance. The visitors were always threatening, but the hosts showed real grit. Sepulveda won himself a yellow card while celebrating his first goal, and by then it was clear this would be one of those games where individual brilliance outweighed the overall picture.
River Plate started brightly, with Driussi finding the net to give his side the lead. Almada added a penalty shortly after, and River Plate were in control. Banfield responded with changes, bringing on Federico Medina and Matías Hernández in the 57th minute. Sepulveda's goal in the 64th minute shifted the momentum, and the hosts believed they could level things up.
Correa's goal in the 69th minute proved decisive. River Plate then brought off their own goalscorer Driussi for Gonzalo Montiel, while Banfield made three more changes in quick succession. Sepulveda completed his brace in the 84th minute, but it was too little, too late. The visitors held on for all three points.
The statistics tell you what you already knew. River Plate had 62 percent possession, created seven big chances, and registered an expected goals figure of 3.42. Banfield managed only 38 percent possession and 1.17 xG despite their late fightback. Eight shots on target for River Plate against five for the hosts, and the difference in quality showed through.
By then, the result had already been decided. River Plate move up to second place with 29 points from 16 games, while Banfield remain 12th on 18 points. The visitors extended their unbeaten run to five matches, though they have drawn three of those five. Banfield's recent form suggests they are not far off, but this was a match where the better side found a way back into it after going behind.