River Plate beat Boca Juniors 2-1, first time away in 10 years

Buenos Aires: River Plate ended a 10-year wait for an away victory over Boca Juniors in the Argentine "superclasico" with a 2-1 win at La Bombonera on Sunday.

Left back Ramiro Funes Mori, playing only because of Leonel Vangioni`s suspension, headed the winner five minutes from time from playmaker Manuel Lanzini`s corner. Lanzini had put River ahead 13 minutes into the second half before Juan Roman Riquelme scored a brilliant equaliser with a trademark free kick 10 minutes later. River, winning away for the first time since September, climbed to within one point of leaders Colon, who were pegged back in a 1-0 defeat at Arsenal. After 10 matches, just past the halfway stage in the Final championship, the second of two titles in the season, Colon have 18 points, River, Velez Sarsfield and Estudiantes 17 each. Title-holders San Lorenzo, winners of the Inicial championship, can join the second-placed trio with a win at Tigre later on Sunday. "It`s not easy to win in this stadium," River captain Fernando Cavenaghi, who scored the only goal when his team last won at Boca in 2004, told Futbol Para Todos. "This win came at just the right moment, the team were tactically smart, we blocked (Fernando) Gago who is the (Boca) player who generates most football," said River coach Ramon Diaz referring to Argentina`s World Cup midfielder. It was an exciting `superclasico` played in a Bombonera packed only with Boca fans, with away supporters banned in a government measure to curb hooligan violence. River goalkeeper Marcelo Barovero made two good saves from Boca forward Juan Manuel Martinez to keep River level in the first half. The visitors broke the deadlock when their Colombian trio of defender Eder Balanta, winger Carlos Carbonero and striker Teo Gutierrez combined on the right wing to set up Lanzini whose low finish beat goalkeeper Agustin Orion. Riquelme thought he had avoided his first home defeat to River in nine derbies at La Bombonera with his free kick, awarded for a foul on Martinez which he curled over the wall and in off the underside of the bar close to the far post with Barovero stranded. But River, looking to avenge Boca`s 1-0 victory at the Monumental in October, had the last word with Funes Mori heading past Orion, Argentina`s third-choice goalkeeper, who had come out looking to cut out Lanzini`s corner. Boca`s post-match complaints that the corner had been awarded mistakenly were borne out by television replays which showed the ball had gone over the line off Lanzini`s heel. Velez crushed Gimnasia 5-1 at El Fortin on Saturday and Estudiantes were held 0-0 at home to Olimpo on Friday.