The calendar marks a date that no river fan ignores: a new anniversary of the Madrid finalthat night of December 9, 2018 that forever changed the history of the Superclásico and the Copa Libertadores. In the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium – today completely renovated and hardly recognizable – River defeated Boca 3 to 1 and won the most famous continental title of all time.
That day, Marcelo Gallardo sent a formation onto the field that fans can recite by heart: Armani; Montiel, Maidana, Pinola, Casco; Enzo Pérez, Pontius; Palacios, Nacho Fernández, Pity Martinez; and Lucas Pratto. Later they were joined by Juan Fernando Quintero – author of an unforgettable goal -, Mayada, the then teenager Julián Álvarez and Zuculini.
A cry that lasts until the final: the key to Estudiantes’ victory against Gimnasia, their eternal classic
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The epic and dramatic final was decided in extra time by goals from Quintero and Pity Martínez, who sealed the score at 3-1 after a run that is now part of the emotional legacy of Argentine football. A game that not only triggered the millionaire madness, but also left a unique mark: according to many, it is one of the most frequently recorded sporting events on mobile phones in modern history, comparable only to the penalty shootout between Argentina and France at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The sequence had an added spice: the majority of those present had raised their cell phones to film the corner kick in Boca’s favor that preceded the counterattack. What followed was a spontaneous and multiple recording of the same piece from dozens of different angles, a kind of emotional mosaic He managed to immortalize the scream of all of River.
With each passing anniversary, the Madrid final cements its place in the popular imagination. It’s not just a result: it’s a memory that is shared, repeated and reconstructed and circulated again in every home video. An eternal chapter that River fans have tattooed into their memories.
B.P
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