In a night that felt almost cinematic, a 10-penalty shootout per side sealed a dramatic exit for River Plate as Colorado claimed the prize in a contest that few will forget.
Flowing with emotion, the analysis of River’s defeat is anything but simple. An extraordinary sequence of penalties, a disallowed goal for a double touch, a goal that was nullified by a change of goalkeeper, and a hero’s miss—all of it stitched together the painful exit of Argentina’s reigning champion from the competition.
The millionaire held a slim edge after the first leg, but trust proved elusive. A flurry from Pablo Solari gave Demichelis a near title, yet over the 90 minutes River could not sustain a breakthrough as Inter, disciplined and relentless, controlled possession and forced River into counterattacks that rarely yielded the desired directness.
Colorado finally broke through after 70 minutes when Gabriel Mercado, a former River player, headed home to open the scoring. Moments later, a defensive hiccup allowed Alan Patrick to bend in a free kick that deflected into goal, giving Inter the lead on the night and swinging the aggregate in their favor.
Coach Micho shuffled the pieces, and though the comeback materialized on aggregate through a close-range strike by Robert Rojas, River’s movement was hampered by a lack of finishing touches in the rest of the match and extra time. The late push was meaningful but not decisive, and the final whistle brought with it a long, heavy sigh for River.
The decisive moment arrived in a shootout that tested nerves all the way. Solari converted his spot kick, but it was ruled invalid after a double touch disrupted the sequence. The drama did not end there: Rojas found the net to keep the tie alive, while Inter’s Alan Patrick struck a successful penalty to reclaim momentum. An earlier controversial moment in the first half, when Inter appealed for a penalty, remained unresolved as the referee signaled no penalty, adding to the tension around the game.
As the series stretched into a stalemate in the shootout, the crossbar and a few late decisions altered the course of the night. Rojas again stepped up to break the deadlock, and when Rochet failed to save a single shot, Inter secured passage to the next round, leaving River short of the required margins to advance.
The disappointment was magnified by how River measured its season in the Copa Libertadores, a competition where the club had hoped to reaffirm its status as a continental heavyweight. Leaving the Monumental with a heavy heart, the team must now re-evaluate its approach and rebuild to chase America once more.
Copa Libertadores 2023: match start times, ads, and scheduling details
what happened next in the action-packed saga.
INTER DE PORTO ALEGRE – RIVER PLATE, MINUTE BY MINUTE
- Minute by minute overview of the Millionaire versus the Colorado.
- Rochet’s save marks River’s exit from the Cup
- Solari’s penalty kick, pivotal in the series, canceled by a double touch
- RIVER TARGET! Sicario Rojas arrives at the far post to level the series
- INTER TARGET! Alan Patrick’s free kick deflects off a defender to beat Armani for 2-0
- INTER TARGET! Mercado wins the header and the series is tied
- The first-half controversy: Inter appeals for a penalty, but the referee remains unmoved
- Beira-Rio confirms the teams
- Good evening and welcome to another GOAL broadcast. Inter de Porto Alegre faces River Plate in the Copa Libertadores 2023 Round of 16 at Beira-Rio.
THE TARGET EXAMPLE
HOW TO WATCH LIVE ON TV AND STREAMING
The clash between River Plate and Inter de Porto Alegre aired in Argentina on FOX Sports. In Colombia, Chile, and Mexico it was shown on ESPN. Chile Vision offered another option in Chile. In the United States, coverage was provided by a local broadcaster. Streaming options included Star+ for viewers across Mexico and South America.
All match action could be streamed online in the relevant regions, ensuring fans could follow the drama as it unfolded.
FORMATIONS
INTER PORTO ALEGRE
Sergio Rochet; Fabricio Bustos, Vitao, Gabriel Mercado, Renán; Johnny, Charles Aranguiz; Mauricio, Alan Patrick, Wanderson; Enner Valencia. DT: Eduardo Coudet.
RIVER PLATE
Franco Armani; Milton Casco, Leandro Gonzalez Pirez, Paulo Diaz, Enzo Diaz; Enzo Perez, Rodrigo Aliendro; Esequiel Barco, Nicolas De la Cruz; Pablo Solari, Lucas Beltran. DT: Martin Demichelis.