The millionaire has enjoyed a notably favorable balance when facing teams from the neighboring country, but Fluminense delivered him a historic triumph that remains in memory.
Matches between Argentina and Brazil, whether at national-team level or in club competition, are among the most compelling in any international tournament. River Plate, the team representing Argentina with the deepest run in continental tournaments, has a long history of duels with clubs from its southern neighbors. In the Marcelo Gallardo era, two Libertadores clashes against verdeamarelos sides stood out as peak memories: the 2015 quarterfinals against Cruzeiro and the 2018 semifinals versus Gremio.
Yet a number of the most recent high-stakes confrontations ended in disappointment: in the first leg of the 2021 Libertadores quarterfinals, Muñeco’s squad fell 0-1 at home to Atlético Mineiro, and the return bout as visitors finished 0-3. The most recent encounter, a 2023 group-stage clash with Fluminense, ended in a tense 1-5 defeat.
Up next, GOAL provides a comprehensive backdrop on the Núñez-led side when facing Brazilian rivals.
GENERAL HISTORY
Across its history, River Plate has faced 16 Brazilian clubs in official international competition, including Atlético Mineiro, Athletico Paranaense, Botafogo, Chapecoense, Corinthians, Cruzeiro, Flamengo, Fortaleza, Gremio, Internacional, Palmeiras, Paulista, Santos, Sao Paulo, Vasco da Gama, and Fluminense. The club from Argentina has played 102 official matches against these Brazilian teams. Flamengo stands as the direct Brazilian opponent River has met the most times (16 games), followed by Cruzeiro (15) and Flamengo again tallying 12 meetings.
At home, River Plate has played 49 matches against Brazilian teams, securing 26 wins, 13 draws, and 11 losses. Away from Buenos Aires, River has appeared in Brazil 49 times, recording 9 wins, 13 draws, and 27 defeats. The remaining two fixtures occurred on neutral ground in decisive Libertadores finals, both endings to River’s detriment: the 1976 final tiebreak in Santiago de Chile, where Cruzeiro prevailed 3-2, and the 2019 single-match final in Lima, where Flamengo defeated them 1-2.
River Plate’s performance against Brazilian clubs on foreign soil has also shaped its Libertadores narrative. The club has encountered twelve Brazilian teams—Flamengo, Sao Paulo, Cruzeiro, Corinthians, Paulista, Gremio, Palmeiras, Vasco da Gama, Atlético Mineiro, Internacional, Athletico Paranaense, Fluminense, and Fortaleza—across Libertadores campaigns, totaling 48 matches. Of these, 22 were played at River’s stadium or neutral venues in Argentina, yielding 9 wins, 5 draws, and 8 losses. In Brazil, River played 24 matches, recording 5 wins, 8 draws, and 11 defeats. The remaining outcomes occurred in Chile and Peru: a 2-3 loss to Cruzeiro in the 1976 final tiebreaker and a 1-2 defeat to Flamengo in the 2019 final.
The Copa Libertadores history between River Plate and Brazilian sides is rich with significance that continues to influence contemporary encounters, illustrating how cross-border rivalry elevates the level of play and fuels a shared narrative between these two footballing nations.
(Goal)