River Plate edged Estudiantes de Río Cuarto 1‑0 at the Monumental, thanks to a strike by Marcos “Huevo” Acuña in matchday 12 of the 2026 Argentine Clausura. Can the “Millionaires” finally secure a 2027 Libertadores berth? Coach Leonardo Ponzio rebounded from a loss to Huracán three weeks earlier and now must tally wins in the five games left to hit the target.
{{{htmlAmp}}}
Despite the win, the “Lion” still lags outside the top eight of Zone B, sitting ninth, two points shy of eighth‑place Barracas Central. A pending clash with Sarmiento de Junín offers a chance to climb one slot. Yet the annual tournament remains a steep climb, making the closing fixtures decisive. Their first route is to finish first in the regular phase; the second is to capture the cup that eluded them months ago.
Overall, the “Millionaires” sit eighth with 45 points, seven behind Independiente Rivadavia de Mendoza, who still have their matchday 12 tie to play. A victory over the “Green” could lift Ponzio’s side higher as they approach the final four matches, where every point counts. Notably, the penultimate game pits them against La Bombonera for the Superclásico against Boca Juniors on Sunday 1 October at 15:30 – a potentially decisive duel. Boca might free up spots by winning the Sudamericana, Copa Argentina, the Clausura, or the annual cup, which would directly benefit River.
River does the math: what’s needed for Libertadores
River’s 2026 Clausura fixture list
- Matchday 11 – Clausura – Sarmiento de Junín vs. – Wednesday 14 October 19:00 (pending).
- Matchday 13 – Clausura – Belgrano de Córdoba vs. – Sunday 18 October 20:15.
- Matchday 14 – Clausura – vs. Racing – Sunday 25 October 19:15.
- Matchday 15 – Clausura – Boca vs. – Sunday 1 November 15:30.
- Matchday 16 – Clausura – Aldosivi vs. – weekend of Sunday 8 November, time TBD. Will River seize the momentum and lock in a Libertadores berth?
When River returns: Sarmiento de Junín details, time, TV and streaming
The pending match of matchday 11 will be played on Wednesday 14 October at 19:00 in the Estadio Eva Perón de Junín. Broadcast duties fall to TNT Sports Premium, alongside the HBO MAX Pack Fútbol stream. The referee for the encounter has yet to be announced.