River Plate’s Libertadores Journey in Bolivia and the Altitude
The millionaire accumulates 30 matches against clubs from the Altiplano with a very positive balance, though the numbers tilt unfavorably if a trip to La Paz is involved.
River begins a new Libertadores adventure, aiming to crown itself as the continent’s king for the fifth time in its history. Used to taking center stage during the Gallardo era, when the club won two titles and fell in a final, the current leadership seeks to maintain that influence under Martín Demichelis. The road starts in a terrain that is always demanding: Bolivia, and especially the high ground of La Paz.
For the Núñez club, Conmebol matches against Bolivian teams total 30, with 28 of them in the Libertadores group stage and two in the knockout phase. The two memorable finales were the 2017 series against Jorge Wilstermann, a 0-3 defeat away, and the overwhelming 8-0 win at the Monumental. The record is strikingly favorable: 20 wins, five draws, and five losses, with a dominant goal difference of +66 (93 goals scored for, 27 against). On average, River tallies more than three goals per game and concedes fewer than one per match.
Argentina’s national team also enjoys an undefeated home record, where statistics appear even more robust: in 15 clashes against Bolivian sides, it has won 14 and conceded only six goals, compared to 68 for. The sole side to force a draw as a visitor was Jorge Wilstermann in a 2-2 encounter from the 1973 edition.
In away matches, River also posts a positive balance, though more balanced: six wins, four draws, and five losses, with 21 goals for and 21 against. The height is a key factor here. The Núñez complex’s altitude in Bolivia sits over 2,500 meters above sea level, with three venues in La Paz and two in Cochabamba against Wilstermann. Away from the plateau, the Millionaire has not claimed a win in the Altiplano for 41 years and remains on a run of five consecutive winless matches (one draw and four losses, with only 3 goals for and 14 against). Still, when considering only the duels played at altitude, the Argentina side fares better than the overall trend: four wins, three draws, and four losses.
Besides those 30 Libertadores games, River also faced a Bolivian team in the South American Champions Championship, a tournament first held in 1948 and recognized by the South American Confederation as a precursor to today’s Libertadores. River prevailed 4-0 over Litoral, a club that today competes in Bolivia’s Third Division.
Finally, regarding its toughest group-stage rival in the 2023 edition, the record shows six clashes in 1982, 2001, and 2016, with four wins, one draw, and one loss. The notable twist is that River’s triumph at the Hernando Siles Stadium did not come on the field but through a technical decision: in 1982, Tigre won 1-0, yet CONMEBOL awarded the match as a loss to Tigre due to the poor use of Waldino Palacios.
Source: Goal [citation]