Boca Juniors defeated River Plate 1\u20130 in Argentina\u2019s Supercl\u00e1sico<\/em> on Sunday, played in front of around 85,000 spectators at the Monumental stadium on matchday 15 of the Apertura tournament.<\/p>\n The decisive moment came deep into first-half stoppage time, when Leandro Paredes calmly converted a penalty in first-half injurey time minute to settle a tight and hard-fought contest.<\/p>\n The spot-kick was awarded after a VAR review for handball by Lautaro Rivero, following a dangerous delivery aimed at Miguel Merentiel.<\/p>\n Captaining Boca, Paredes delivered a commanding performance at the heart of midfield and was widely viewed as the standout player on the pitch.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re proud of this team, which is becoming a group of men and is starting to play good football,\u201d he said afterwards. \u201cWe knew what kind of match it would be \u2013\u00a0there would be little rhythm. It was important to win today. This is a process and we\u2019re improving step by step.\u201d<\/p>\n The match unfolded with high intensity but limited fluency, marked by tight marking and few clear openings in the first half. River dominated possession and pressed high up the pitch, but struggled to translate that control into meaningful chances. Boca, by contrast, looked more dangerous on the break, targeting Adam Bareiro with long balls and exploiting the delivery of Lautaro Blanco down the left.<\/p>\n River\u2019s best chance before the interval came when Maximiliano Salas fired narrowly wide on 44 minutes, but Boca responded almost immediately, with Paredes releasing Merentiel, whose effort brushed the post. Moments later came the \u0928\u093f\u0930\u094d\u0923ing penalty that shifted the balance of the game.<\/p>\n After the break, River pushed forward in search of an equaliser, urged on by a restless home crowd, but their attacks often lacked precision. Boca remained compact and disciplined at the back, with Lautaro Di Lollo outstanding in defence, while goalkeeper Leandro Brey produced a key intervention to deny Lucas Mart\u00ednez Quarta.<\/p>\n \u201cThe group made a huge effort in the final minutes. We played the way a cl\u00e1sico should be played and saw it through,\u201d Di Lollo said. \u201cWe knew they would come at us late on, but we defended well.\u201d<\/p>\n Boca ultimately held firm to secure a vital victory away from home, extending their unbeaten run to 13 matches since February and confirming their place in the round of 16.<\/p>\n With the result, the Xeneize<\/em> climb to third place in Zone A and take an important step towards sealing qualification for the knockout stage. River, meanwhile, remain second in Zone B and are still on course to progress, despite suffering their first defeat in nine matches under coach Eduardo Coudet.<\/p>\n \u201cLosing the match we didn\u2019t want to lose hurts. The responsibility is mine,\u201d Coudet said. \u201cA defeat like this has to hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n In the overall head-to-head record, Boca extended their lead over their fierce rivals, now boasting 94 wins to River\u2019s 88, with 84 matches drawn.<\/p>\n The match was officiated by Dar\u00edo Herrera.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Line-ups:<\/strong><\/p>\n River Plate:<\/strong> Santiago Beltr\u00e1n; Gonzalo Montiel, Lucas Mart\u00ednez Quarta, Lautaro Rivero (Ian Subiabre, 88′), Marcos Acu\u00f1a; An\u00edbal Moreno; Juan Cruz Meza (Giuliano Galoppo, 46′), Kendry P\u00e1ez (Joaqu\u00edn Freitas, 56′), Tom\u00e1s Galv\u00e1n; Sebasti\u00e1n Driussi (Maximiliano Salas, 17′) and Facundo Colidio. Manager: Eduardo Coudet.<\/p>\n Boca Juniors:<\/strong> Leandro Brey; Marcelo Weigandt, Lautaro Di Lollo, Ayrton Costa, Marcos Acu\u00f1a; Santiago Ascacibar, Leandro Paredes (Ander Herrera, 72′), Milton Delgado; Tom\u00e1s Aranda (Tom\u00e1s Belmonte, 72′); Miguel Merentiel (Exequiel Zeballos, 68′) and Adam Bareiro (Milton Gim\u00e9nez, 82′). Manager: Claudio \u00dabeda.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n