An unfavorable record shook River Plate this Sunday, November 2, after their setback against Gimnasia y Esgrima de La Plata, deepening the team’s crisis and dragging its Colombian players with it.
With the 1-0 loss at the Monumental, River accumulated four consecutive defeats at home, a negative record that the club had not suffered since 1926.
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The errors and the lack of prominence of the key players combined to generate discontent in the stands. Miguel Ángel Borja, who entered in the 62nd minute instead of Cristian Jaime, had the chance to avoid defeat, but missed a penalty in the fifth minute of additional time.
The Colombian took the shot after a foul committed against Lucas Martínez Quarta, but the visiting goalkeeper, Nelson Insfrán, stopped the shot and secured the victory for Gimnasia.
TyC Sports He gave a rating of 1 point to Miguel Borja and questioned the reasons why the Córdoba striker continues to be lined up: “Why is he still playing? Wasn’t he leaving at the end of the year? Nothing in the game. And when a game had to be tied, after the unusual penalty and scandalous discount given by the referee, he made a mistake, for a change. That Borja continues playing for River explains a lot about this absolutely disoriented present.”
While social networks did not forgive a new mistake by the Colombian, who only registered two goals in 12 games of the closing tournament:
- “Thank you, gymnastics goalkeeper… I hope this helps them realize and kick Borja and the other old guys who are no longer even on River’s senior team!” @ignaciomichia1
- “I remember more penalties missed by Borja than he scored. Let another friend take the kick..” @FrancoZalazar9
- “Go to the fucking shell of your vorja mother and the very copycat whore that gave birth to you” @ELAXEL2096134
The performance of the other coffee players also found no response among the fans. Juan Fernando Quintero received criticism after being replaced by Maximiliano Meza in the last half hour without being able to influence the development of the match. The Nation He pointed out the discomfort in the stands and asked:
“And what happens to Juanfer Quintero? Once again he was replaced after a weak game. The fans broke out with different chants taking into account the recent frustrations in the Copa Libertadores, the Copa Argentina and the setbacks of the Clausura.”
Kevin Castaño completed the ninety minutes without achieving the expected performance; His contribution remains unconvincing since his arrival at the club.
The only goal of the match was the work of Marcelo Torres for Gimnasia, who converted a penalty at fifty-five minutes. This result left those led by Marcelo Gallardo in a delicate position just before the expected classic against Boca Juniors that will be played at La Bombonera next Sunday.
River Plate’s recent loss to Gimnasia y Esgrima de La Plata not only extended the team’s negative streak, but also called its international future into question. After losing 1-0 at the Monumental, the team led by Marcelo Gallardo remains in third position in the annual table and, for the moment, retains its access to the playoffs for the next edition of the Copa Libertadores. However, the outcome of this situation will be practically defined in the next two days, with the next Superclásico against Boca Juniors being the key match for the immediate future of Núñez’s team.
Currently, the qualification for Libertadores 2026 already has two confirmed teams: Platense, Apertura champion, and Rosario Central, annual leader, have their place guaranteed. The remaining tickets will be distributed between the winner of the Clausura, the champion of the Argentine Cup – which is disputed between Argentinos Juniors and Independiente Rivadavia -, and the second and third places in the annual table, positions occupied today by Boca and River.
A detail to take into account is the case of Lanús: if it wins the Copa Sudamericana, it will also access the Libertadores 2026, which could change the outlook for the rest. In this context, Boca Juniors, with four points more than River, will qualify directly if they achieve at least a draw in the Superclásico. For Gallardo’s men, the only viable option to sustain their aspirations is to achieve a victory in La Bombonera; Any other result will worsen your situation in the table.
If the next matches do not alter the positions, River Plate will have to play the preliminary phase of the maximum continental tournament. They would only directly access the group stage if they win the Clausura, or if Boca or Rosario Central are champions, thus opening an extra place in the annual one.
