River Plate claim victory in rearranged Copa Libertadores final
River Plate battled back to beat arch Argentine rivals Boca Juniors 3-1 in extra-time in an unforgettable and unique Copa Libertadores final second leg.
It was played in Madrid after violence had seen the original game postponed.
Dario Benedetto put Boca ahead at the end of a bruising first half at a raucous Santiago Bernabeu stadium that was equally split between supporters of the two teams but witnessed barely a hint of crowd trouble.
But River, who also came back twice in the 2-2 draw in the first leg at Boca's Bombonera stadium, levelled in the 68th minute through striker Lucas Pratto after a superb team move.
River, whose coach Marcelo Gallardo was banned from the sidelines, were given a huge advantage when Boca's Colombian midfielder Wilmar Barrios was sent off in the third minute of extra-time and seized it thanks to a sizzling strike from his compatriot Juan Fernando Quintero in the 109th minute.
Gonzalo Martinez sealed victory, 5-3 on aggregate, at the death with a tap in after Boca's entire team had poured forward in search of an equaliser, giving River a fourth Libertadores title and denying Boca a record-equalling seventh.
Published: by Radio NewsHub