Boca Juniors, River Plate Draw 2-2 in Copa Libertadores Final 1st Leg

River Plate and Boca Juniors played out a thrilling 2-2 draw in the first leg of the 2018 Copa Libertadores final on Sunday.

The hosts twice took the lead through Ramon Abila and Dario Benedetto, but River Plate hit back, tying things through Lucas Pratto and an own goal from Carlos Izquierdoz. The two rivals were as evenly matched on the pitch as the final score suggests.

The first leg was supposed to be played on Saturday but was pushed back a day because heavy rains flooded the pitch of the iconic La Bombonera stadium.

As expected, the atmosphere was on point before kick-off:

Boca Juniors saw more of the ball early but couldn't create much with their possession, while the visitors threatened on the counter and with set pieces.

Lucas Martinez Quarta missed a fantastic chance early, powering a header wide from a promising position. Per sportswriter Sam Kelly, it should have been the opener:

It wasn't the only good chance that went begging, as Agustin Rossi denied Rafael Borre. Rossi was kept busy as River Plate improved during the half, hitting the hosts at will on the counter.

Per sportswriter Daniel Edwards, it wasn't a surprise to see that the tactical battle went the visitors' way:

To make matters worse, Boca Juniors lost star forward Cristian Pavon to injury before the half-hour mark, forcing an early substitution and some tactical changes.

The rivalry exploded shortly after the half-hour mark with two quick goals. First, the hosts took the lead through Abila, pouncing on a second effort after the initial save from Franco Armani.

La Bombonera erupted, but their joy was short-lived. Minutes after the opener, the Boca defence went to sleep, and Pratto sneaked in to nick an equaliser.

Sportswriter Rupert Fryer couldn't believe it:

Borre went agonisingly close to making it 2-1 for the visitors just before half-time, again catching out the defence before firing narrowly wide.

The half ended on a high, as Benedetto restored Boca's lead with a clever header that beat Armani. The semi-final hero was the man who replaced Pavon.

At half-time, sportswriter Peter Coates noted the match was living up to its immense hype:

Sebastian Villa was lucky not to get sent off early in the second half after he tried to win a penalty by diving. He had already been booked, and the official let him off the hook.

River Plate patiently worked their way forward, but Boca appeared to stay in control rather comfortably until Izquierdoz deposited the ball into his own net off a cross. Per Coates, the equaliser was deserved:

The hosts brought on Carlos Tevez as they chased a winner, but momentum was with River Plate, who thrived as the crowd went quiet.  

Borre got himself booked and suspended for the second leg, and Boca Juniors took control of the match late, with few chances to speak of. Benedetto had a wonderful opportunity to win it late after great work from Tevez, but goalkeeper Armani pulled off a fantastic save to preserve the draw.

The contest was on a knife's edge, but there would be no more goals, setting up what should be a fantastic second leg.

What's Next?

The rivals will meet again in the second leg on November 24, this time at River Plate's El Monumental stadium.