Boca beats River at the Monumental again on a Paredes penalty

A penalty called late in the first half was all Boca Juniors needed to spoil River Plate's afternoon once again at the Monumental. Leandro Paredes didn't miss from twelve yards, and that strike ended up being everything Claudio Ubeda's team required to take the Superclasico corresponding to matchday 15 of the 2026 Apertura, played on April 19.

The final score was 1-0, and while there wasn't much drama beyond the penalty, the win carried enormous weight given what it means to beat River at Nunez. Ubeda's side managed to make that goal count and, in the process, shut down any attempt at a response from Chacho Coudet's team, which couldn't find an equalizer despite playing at home.

Boca celebrated in style on a field that has historically given them trouble, and the psychological blow for River is considerable: it's not the first time in recent years that the Millonario has come up empty in a Superclasico played in its own stadium.

An even record at the Monumental

Looking back at how the last five meetings between the two sides went at Nunez, balance has been the norm. Just a year earlier, in the 2025 Apertura, River had won 2-1 behind a dominant first half: a stunning goal from Mastantuono opened the scoring, Merentiel equalized after a Pezzella error, and Driussi made it 2-1 before the break. That time the home side managed the game better and took fewer risks in the second half.

Before that, in the 2024 Copa de la Liga Profesional, the two sides had drawn 1-1: Pablo Solari put River ahead, and Cristian Medina showed up in the second half to level things.

2023 also left its mark. River won 1-0 on a penalty converted by Miguel Borja, but that match is remembered above all for its chaotic finish: the referee ended up sending off Agustin Palavecino, Ezequiel Centurion, Nacho Fernandez, Miguel Merentiel, Elias Gomez and Equi Fernandez, in one of the tensest scenes in a recent Superclasico.

A year before that, in the 2022 Copa de la Liga Profesional, Boca had already pulled off an upset at the Monumental, winning 1-0 on a solo goal from Colombian winger Sebastian Villa, in a match from the seventh round. That Boca team would go on to win that tournament after beating Tigre in the final.

With this new 1-0 in 2026, Ubeda's side adds another happy result on the road and makes clear that, game after game, the Superclasico at Nunez remains a place where anything can happen, regardless of recent history or who's sitting higher in the standings.