A crowd of 30,400 observed the first leg at the Arena da Baixada, in which Athletico Paranaense took the lead in the series courtesy of the lone goal scored by striker Marco Ruben. Watched by a crowd of 66,500 at the Estadio Monumental, River Plate tied the game after Ignacio Fernández scored the rebound off of a penalty Santos had stopped him. They extended their lead in stoppage time when Lucas Pratto scored, and added one more courtesy of Matías Suárez four minutes later. River Plate secured their third Recopa Sudamericana win after completing the comeback.
Background
The Recopa Sudamericana was founded in the late 1980s, as a means to determine the best team in South America.[4] It was first contested between the winners of the Copa Libertadores and the Supercopa Libertadores from 1989 to 1998, when CONMEBOL discontinued the Supercopa Sudamericana. Following the absence of an important, secondary tournament, the Recopa Sudamericana went into a hiatus that lasted four years until the introduction of the Copa Sudamericana.[5]
Athletico Paranaense qualified for the Recopa Sudamericana by winning the 2018 Copa Sudamericana. They beat Colombian team Junior in the final, having won 4–3 on penalties after a tied aggregate at two goals each.[6] Athletico Paranaense won the Copa Sudamericana for the first time, and were set to make their debut in the Recopa Sudamericana.[7]
River Plate qualified for the match as winners of the 2018 Copa Libertadores. They beat their historic rivalsBoca Juniors 5–3 in the finals to win their fourth Copa Libertadores title.[8] River Plate were appearing in the competition for the fifth time, with a record consisting of two successive wins in 2015 and 2016 and consecutive losses in 1997 and 1998.[7]
Both teams were midway through their respective campaigns in the 2019 Copa Libertadores, having played all of their group stage matches.[9] River Plate's last game coming into the tournament was against Atlético Tucumán, in a 4–1 win on the second leg of the Copa de la Superliga quarterfinals. This result was insufficient to make up for the three goal deficit suffered on their first game, getting knocked out of the tournament due to the away goals rule.[10] Athletico Paranaense's meeting with Corinthians on 19 May yielded a 2–0 loss, during the 2019 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A.[11]
First leg
Summary
Renan Lodi's performance was crucial, as he contributed to putting his team ahead on the aggregate.
The first leg was held at the Arena da Baixada, the home ground of Athletico Paranaense. The host team exploited the speed of their wingers and full-backs, while the visitors battled back applying suffocating pressure in the opposition's half. Lucho González issued the first warning after taking a shot near the entrance of the area that demanded a response from goalkeeper Franco Armani. River Plate's game plan, based on an extremely fowarded positioning of their defensive line, crumbled in the 25th minute when Renan Lodi received a pass from Bruno Guimarães. The left-back managed a low center to Rony, who proceeded to get rid of several defenders with a simple turn, and then laid the goal on a silver platter for Marco Ruben who tapped the ball in. Lodi would produce another exceptional play minutes after, sending a cross that neither Ruben nor Lucho could finish. River Plate tried to maintain their composure while in possession as the first half ended.[12]
Athletico Paranaense continued to cause problems with quick transitions and counter-attacks during the second half. Armani prevented a two goal disadvantage with a good save from a Lodi shot. The game became a frantic back-and-forth affair, as Nikão kept being a nuisance for the Argentine goalkeeper. River Plate had one good chance with a cross from the left that needed only a header to level up the scoreline. Ten minutes shy of injury time, River Plate's Milton Casco punched Rony before a free kick, and the referee Wilmar Roldán sent the full-back off with a straight red card after consulting the video assistant referee.[12]
River Plate's Marcelo Gallardo was critical of his team's performance, stating: "We didn't play well overall. We couldn't find our footing on the pitch, either on the field or in terms of our football." In spite of this analysis, he was clear about their chances coming into the second leg: "We're still in the game because we only lost by a single goal, and we have everything we need to turn things around at home."[13]
Twelve named substitutes, of which up to three may be used
Second leg
Summary
Matías Suárez's assist and goal gave River Plate their third Recopa Sudamericana win.
Athletico Paranaense's 1–0 victory in the first leg meant that the home side needed a goal to force the tie into extra-time. From the first minute, both teams displayed intense and frenetic energy, eager to take center stage. The visitors challenged River Plate for possession in midfield, while the home team pressed high in search for a goal to level the series. In the 13th minute, Ignacio Fernández settled himself inside the box and unleashed a powerful right-footed shot that struck Santos' left post, who was left unable to react. He was eventually tested ten minutes later when he masterfully prevented Lucas Pratto from scoring the opening goal. Athletico Paranaense managed to create trouble with sporadic counterattacks, and 30 minutes into the match, Lucho González had a golden opportunity to extend their lead that was denied by Franco Armani, who miraculously deflected the ball. River Plate's initiative started to fade as the first half came to a closing.[15]
The second half started with Athletico Paranaense sitting back and defending with focus and composure the aggregate score. At the 60-minute mark, Chilean referee Roberto Tobar awarded a penalty to the home team after consulting the video assistant referee, crediting a handball by González inside the area after a corner kick. Ignacio Fernández was to take the penalty. His shot was partially diverted by Santos, hitting the post, which favoured the midfielder in the rebound as he slammed it home for the equaliser 65 minutes into the match. Renan Lodi tried to unlevel the scoreline with a long-range shot around the 80th minute, which was successfully defended by Armani. The game seemed to be heading for extra-time until subbed in striker Matías Suárez put up a magnificent cross over to Pratto, who controlled the ball and took a shot towards the net that broke the parity in injury time. Athletico Paranaense scrambled as they desperately tried to bring the match to an even affair, but Suárez capitalized on their confusion, scoring the final goal after dribbling Santos and sealing the 3–0 victory moments away from the final whistle.[15]
30 minutes of extra time if necessary (away goals rule not applied)
Penalty shoot-out if scores still level
Twelve named substitutes
Maximum of three substitutions, with a fourth allowed in extra time
Post-match
River Plate manager Marcelo Gallardo praised his team after the second leg: "These players have a special gift for these kinds of matches, a winning mentality, a connection with their fans, with their people, a solidarity that defines them as a team." He also made a remark on how he was right to bring in striker Lucas Pratto: "Tonight only confirms that we weren't wrong to bring Pratto in and how valuable he has been from day one. Although he was valued based on his price tag and viewed with skepticism, he more than justified what was paid for him."[16]
Athletico Paranaense's Tiago Nunes also complemented his squad following the loss: "I'm happy in the sense that the group fought. Even with a feeling of defeat, we have to be proud of what we built." He reflected on the match and his admiraton towards River Plate, stating: "We played two great games against a superb team. It serves as a learning experience for a club that is becoming more prominent, like Athletico. An opponent who honors the shirt it wears, it's no coincidence they have so many titles."[17]
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