The biggest match in Argentine football takes place on Sunday as Boca Juniors and River Plate renew their rivalry at La Bombonera in the Superclasico.
Boca head into the contest in fine form, winning three on the bounce which includes a 3-1 success at Vasco da Gama in the second leg of their Copa Sudamericana semi-final tie.
A clash with another Brazilian side, Atletico Mineiro, awaits in the final of that competition later this month and head coach Rodolfo Arruabarrena will want his side to take as much momentum as possible into that game.
The Blue and Gold currently sit third in Clausura Zone A, losing just one of their 14 games, and their place in the final stages is already assured.
River still have some work to do to secure their progress in Zone B, but like Boca they are in form, taking 10 points from the last 12 available.
Boca Juniors v River Plate Tips Summary
Best Bet - Over 9.5 cards @ 1/1
Alternative Bet - Miguel Merentiel anytime scorer @ 6/5
Bet Builder - Boca Juniors to win, Miguel Merentiel 3+ shots & Leandro Paredes & Lucas Martinez Quarta to be booked @ 7/1
Boca Juniors v River Plate Prediction
Best Bet: Over 8.5 cards @ 1/1
The Superclasico is one of the fiercest derbies in world football and it is no surprise that tempers tend to spill over when these two sides meet.
In each of the last five head-to-heads the card count has reached double figures, with 11 being brandished during their most recent clash at River's Estadio Monumental in April.
The most famous meetings between the two teams in recent years - the two legs of the 2018 Copa Libertadores final - saw 14 cards brandished, two coming for Boca's Wilmar Barrios in the second leg as River took the title 5-3 on aggregate.
This derby is always played on the edge and with River in need of the points to book their place in the final stages, temperatures could once again boil over.
Alternative Bet: Miguel Merentiel anytime scorer @ 6/5
Boca's Uruguayan forward Miguel Merentiel is a player in form, scoring eight goals in his last 13 appearances.
The 30-year-old was on the scoresheet as Boca booked their place in the Sudamericana final with victory over Vasco, and although he didn't trouble the scoresheet against Independiente last time out, he did produce an effort on target for the fifth game on the bounce.
Merentiel, whose sole cap for Uruguay came in 2024, scored in both meetings with River last season and he can add another derby goal on Sunday to extend his impressive run of form.
Boca Juniors v River Plate Bet Builder Tip
- Boca Juniors to win
- Miguel Merentiel 3+ shots
- Leandro Paredes
- Lucas Martinez Quarta to be booked
Pays 7/1
Both teams are in form but Boca's impressive run has been over a longer period of time, as their only defeat in their last 21 matches in all competitions was the first leg of their eventually successful Sudamericana semi-final against Vasco.
The Blue and Gold have not lost domestically since July and they have only been beaten once at La Bombonera in the league in 2026.
Arruabarrena's side have won their last two meetings with River without conceding and they can make it three successes on the bounce against their great rivals on Sunday.
Merentiel will likely play a big part in any Boca success and the in-form frontman should be able to add to the team-high 50 shots he has fired off in the Liga Profesional this season.
As mentioned, yellow cards are a running theme in this fixture and both Boca midfielder Leandro Paredes and River centre-back Lucas Martinez Quarta are leading candidates to be booked.
Paredes, who is currently serving a 10-match international ban for his antics in this summer's World Cup final for Argentina, has been booked eight times in the league this season and also received a yellow against Vasco.
Martinez Quarta, meanwhile, was cautioned for the ninth time this season against Belgrano in his last outing, and both he and Paredes were booked when these two sides last locked horns in April.
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Key Match Stats
- Boca Juniors have only lost one of their last 21 matches across all competitions
- River Plate have taken 10 points from the last 12 available in the Liga Profesional
- Boca have won the last two Superclasicos without conceding
- Miguel Merentiel has scored eight goals in his last 13 Boca appearances
- At least 10 cards have been handed out in the last five meetings between these sides
- River defender Lucas Martinez Quarta has been booked nine times this season
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
