Barracas Central Spoils River Plate's Debut in Clausura Tournament

River Plate began their Argentine Clausura Tournament campaign with a disappointing 1-0 home loss against Barracas Central on Saturday. The defeat at the Estadio Monumental was a bitter pill for the "Millonario" faithful, especially as it marked the official debut of high-profile signings Nicolás Otamendi and Ángel Correa.

Barracas Central secured their victory with a single goal from Gonzalo Morales in the 22nd minute. The result deepened River Plate's woes, adding to a difficult start to the semester that already saw them eliminated from the Copa Argentina following a 1-3 loss to Arsenal de Sarandí. The team, which recently saw a coaching change from Marcelo Gallardo to Eduardo Coudet, was met with loud whistles from its own supporters as they left the field.

Beyond Otamendi, who arrived from Benfica, and Correa, recently acquired from Tigres of Mexico, River Plate bolstered its squad with other significant additions. Colombian striker Rafael Santos Borré started the match, while Uruguayan Mauro Arambarri and Lucas Beltrán entered as substitutes. Paraguayan players Juan Espínola and Rodrigo Bogarín were on the bench for Barracas Central.

Before the match, a minute of applause was held to honor the Argentine national team for their runner-up finish in the recent 2026 World Cup. River Plate also presented plaques to Nicolás Otamendi and Gonzalo Montiel, both members of the World Cup squad.

In other Clausura Tournament results from Saturday, Newell's Old Boys defeated Talleres de Córdoba 1-0, and Estudiantes de Río Cuarto beat Tigre by the same score. Earlier matches included Racing's 2-1 victory over Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata, Vélez's 1-0 win against Instituto de Córdoba, and Belgrano de Córdoba's 2-1 triumph over Rosario Central. The opening round concludes Sunday with matches between Estudiantes de La Plata and Independiente, and Deportivo Riestra and Boca Juniors.