Copa Libertadores final dates confirmed for mouthwatering River Plate vs Boca Juniors clash that will see fierce Argentinian rivals go head-to-head

Argentina's fiercest rivals, Boca Juniors and River Place, are braced for the greatest Superclasico ever with an historic clash in the Copa Libertadores final.

Arguably, no duel in football is bigger than that between the Buenos Aires giants.

Both beat Brazilian clubs in the semis to set up the last-ever two-legged final of South America's most prestigious club tournament.

And it will be the first time they have met at this exalted stage.

The dates have even been switched from the traditional midweek format to Saturdays.




Boca's Bombonera stadium hosts the first leg on November 10, with the return at River's Monumental on November 24.

Around 70% of Argentina's football fans are thought to support one or other of the two..

And hostilities are so strong that away fans are banned, while the build-up to each fixture is a city-wide feast of events.

Yet despite the sharp divide between the clubs, the legendary rivals both come from working-class dockland area La Boca.


River Plate – so called because of the huge estuary splitting Argentina from Uruguay – were formed from the merger of two clubs in 1901.

Boca emerged four years later, set up by Italian immigrants who adopted their blue and yellow colours by chance when they noticed a ship with a Swedish flag passing by.

The rivalry really took off in the 1920s when River moved to rich Recoleta, before switching to Belgrano and becoming one of the wealthiest clubs on the continent.

Since then, Boca have been known as the club of the people (Boca) and River Plate are identified with the well-off – the bourgeoisie (River).

Insults between the fans still fly around based on those stereotypes.

Boca mock River as 'Gallinas' (chickens), saying their team lack fighting spirit.

And River call Juniors "Los chanchitos" (little pigs) or "'Bosteros" (manure collectors) as they claim the La Boca area smells badly.

Supremacy, like the taunts, has swung to and thro for the past century.

Boca have won six Copa Libertadores, three more than River. But River have been champions of Argentina 36 times, three clear of Boca.

Including all trophies, Boca are currently 67-63 in front.

And their supporters never let River forget their relegation to the second-tier in 2011.

Needing to beat Belgrano de Cordoba at home by two goals to stay up, River drew 1-1 amid a chaotic climax.

The match was abandoned a minute early as police used water cannon when River fans invaded the pitch and fighting continued afterwards outside the stadium.

River immediately returned to the top flight by winning the Primera B Nacional title the following season but Boca fans still say of River's demotion: "That stain will never be erased".

This term both teams have defied their indifferent league form – river are seventh, Boca ninth – by reaching the Copa Libertadores showpiece.

River won 2-1 at Gremio to reach the final 2-2 on away goals after a 1-0 home loss.

Then Boca drew 2-2 aqainst Palmeiras in Sao Paulo, putting them through 4-2 on aggregate.

Now the rivalry will be twisted up to fever pitch for arguably the biggest domestic event in Argentinian sporting history.

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