Santa Fe Looks to End Six-Game Winless Streak Against River

They've met six times, and not once has Santa Fe walked away celebrating. That's the stat hanging over the Cardenal ahead of hosting River Plate this Wednesday, August 19, at Estadio Nemesio Camacho El Campin, in the first leg of the round of 16 of the CONMEBOL Sudamericana. It might sound like a footnote, but it's a thorn in the side that Pablo Repetto and his players are eager to finally pull out.

The history between these two clubs dates back to 2016, in the Recopa Sudamericana, when Santa Fe arrived as Sudamericana champions and River as reigning Libertadores kings. The first leg ended 0-0 in Bogota, leaving the title wide open. A week later, at the Monumental, River won 2-1 and took home the trophy. That's when a streak began that, over the years, turned into a habit.

They crossed paths again in 2018, this time in the group stage of the Libertadores. In Buenos Aires they played to a scoreless draw, but at El Campin River won 1-0, once again denying Santa Fe a celebration on home turf. The most recent chapter came in 2021, also in the Libertadores: first a 0-0 draw in Asuncion (the match was relocated due to public order issues in Colombia at the time), then a 2-1 win for River at the Monumental, in a match remembered because Enzo Pérez, a lifelong midfielder, had to play goalkeeper after a COVID-19 outbreak hit the Argentine squad. Kelvin Osorio scored for the Leon, but it wasn't enough.

The bottom line from all that history is stark: three wins for River and three draws, without a single win for Santa Fe. And it's worth noting that this time the matchup is different: for the first time, they'll face off in the Sudamericana, a tournament both clubs have lifted before. River won it in 2014, with Marcelo Gallardo just arriving on the bench, and Santa Fe did the same a year later, in 2015, eliminating Huracán on penalties to claim the first continental title ever won by a Colombian club.

Rodallega, Repetto's Trump Card

Santa Fe arrives at this matchup fresh off a 2-0 rout of Boyaca Chico, with Hugo Rodallega as their main offensive threat. The Cardenal captain will be one of the key pieces as the team tries to break a trend that's favored River for nearly a decade.

Playing the first leg at home gives Leon a meaningful edge: the chance to build a cushion with their fans behind them before traveling to Buenos Aires for the second leg, set for August 26 at Estadio Monumental. Both clubs also share a long list of players who've worn both jerseys, from Miguel Borja to historic names like Juan Carlos Toja and Gerardo Reinoso, adding extra flavor to a rivalry that already carries plenty of history.

After six chapters without a celebration, Santa Fe wants this one to be different. The question hanging over El Campin is simple: will this be the time the streak finally breaks?