Liverpool retakes Clausura lead with win over Boston River

Four games, four wins and a draw. That's how strong Liverpool's start to the Clausura Tournament has been, and the 1-0 win over Boston River at Parque Alfredo Víctor Viera confirms that Jorge Fossati has the Black and Blues standing taller than anyone else in the Uruguayan championship.

The victory allowed Liverpool to retake the top spot in the standings, a place it had ceded to Montevideo City Torque and now occupies again with authority. It wasn't an easy match, far from a routine one: Boston River, coached from Belvedere, came out to compete from the first minute and even had chances to go ahead.

In fact, the first clear chance fell to the visitors. Nicolas Garayalde tried a dangerous shot that goalkeeper Antunez managed to save with a strong reaction. Liverpool, however, wasn't long in responding. In the 24th minute, Cayetano rifled a shot off both posts that landed at Bentancourt's feet, who pounced on the rebound and put the ball in the net. The celebration didn't last: the goal was disallowed for offside.

The back and forth continued, and the home side came close to taking the lead in another way. Mateo Rivero brought down Federico Martinez inside the box and the referee pointed to the penalty spot, but the VAR review found that the play had started from an offside position, so the penalty was overturned.

With the draw holding on longer than expected, Liverpool finally got its reward in the 73rd minute. Lucas Acosta threaded a precise pass to Federico Martinez, and the Black and Blues captain made no mistake, finishing with quality for the 1-0 that would prove decisive.

Boston River didn't give up and went all out in search of the equalizer. Nicolas Siri tried a header that the crossbar denied. Deep into stoppage time, Sastre again appealed for a penalty, this time for a handball by Garayalde. Referee Javier Feres awarded it at first, but ended up reversing his decision after a VAR review.

A nearly perfect start

With this result, Liverpool remains unbeaten in the tournament and returns to the top of the standings, a fact that confirms the team's strong collective form under Fossati. The consistency shown in these opening rounds is starting to create a clear gap over the rest of the title contenders.