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Boca Juniors players celebrate at full-time. Imago/PA Images
Superclasico

History in the making as rivals Boca Juniors and River Plate to meet in Copa Libertadores final

The Argentine teams enjoy one of the most heated rivalries in football, but have never met in the Copa Libertadores final before.

BOCA JUNIORS SET up a first ever Superclasico Copa Libertadores final after overcoming Palmeiras on Wednesday night.

A 2-2 draw in Sao Paulo was enough for Boca to move into the decider courtesy of a 4-2 aggregate win, and fierce rivals River Plate await in the final.

Dario Benedetto, Boca’s hero in the semi-final first leg, scored once again off the bench, ending Palmeiras’ challenge after Luan and Gustavo Gomez had dragged them back into the tie.

Ramon Abila’s opener had put Boca in complete control, before Palmeiras’ fightback.

Imago 20181031 Ramon Abila celebrates scoring after 17 minutes. Imago / PA Images Imago / PA Images / PA Images

But the six-time champions moved into the final for a record 11th time and rivals River will be aiming to deny them a seventh title.

Palmeiras made the better start in the second leg and thought they had a 10th-minute goal through Bruno Henrique, but the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) was used to correctly rule out the effort for offside.

Instead, Boca went ahead in the 18th minute, Abila tapping in after superb work by Sebastian Villa.

But Luiz Felipe Scolari’s Palmeiras worked their way back into the tie to begin the second half, Luan drilling in a low finish after a set-piece.

COPA90 / YouTube

The hosts then struck again through a Gomez penalty, awarded after Carlos Izquierdoz clumsily brought down Dudu.

However, Benedetto came on to haunt Palmeiras once more, drilling in a brilliant 25-yard finish to end the tie.

It will be the first time the side’s have met in the Copa Libertadores since 2015, when the game was abandoned at half-time after Boca supporters attacked River players in the tunnel with pepper spray.

The final will take place over two legs for the final time in 2018. The opening leg takes place at the 49,000-seater Bombonera stadium on 7 November before the return fixture on 28 November.

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