River Plate Rout Belgrano 3-0 in Liga Profesional Stroll

River Plate delivered a sobering 3-0 masterclass against Belgrano Cordoba in Liga Profesional Argentina’s Clausura Round 13, their clinical second-half finishing turning a cagey affair into a rout at the Estadio Julio César Villagra.

Belgrano’s VAR reprieve fails to spark resistance

The hosts survived an early scare when Lisandro López saw a 29th-minute red card overturned by VAR, but River’s 58% possession and relentless probing exposed cracks in Belgrano’s backline. Just as half-time loomed, Tomás Galván timed his run perfectly to meet Gonzalo Montiel’s cross, a VAR check confirming his 45+3rd minute opener that punctured the home crowd’s defiance.

River Plate’s ruthless second-half blitz

Belgrano’s discipline crumbled after the break – Adrián Sánchez and Franco Vázquez both carded inside six minutes as River smelled blood. Ángel Correa made it 2-0 in the 49th minute, converting Lucas Beltrán’s incisive pass before Thiago Almada’s 72nd-minute strike, assisted by Galván, wrapped up the points. A late Correa goal was chalked off by VAR, but the damage was done.

What this means for both Liga Profesional Argentina campaigns

River Plate’s seventh consecutive unbeaten league game – built on a defence that hasn’t conceded in 310 minutes – signals their Clausura credentials. For Belgrano, a fourth defeat in six leaves them anxiously glancing over their shoulders. The gulf in quality was stark: River’s 14 shots to Belgrano’s 12 told only half the story – their 1.16 xG to Belgrano’s 1.08 underlining their lethal efficiency when it mattered.