CÓRDOBA (Interstat) — River Plate scored three unanswered goals and defeated Belgrano 3-0 on Sunday at Estadio Julio César Villagra in Córdoba, Argentina, behind a goal and an assist from Tomas Ezequiel Galvan. River Plate led from first-half stoppage time onward and pulled away after halftime.

Galvan opened the scoring in the third minute of first-half stoppage time, giving River Plate a lead just before the break. Belgrano had kept the visitors scoreless through regulation time in the opening half, but the late goal shifted the match. Belgrano’s Sanchez was shown a yellow card in the eighth minute of first-half stoppage time, and River Plate went into halftime ahead 1-0.

River Plate doubled the lead in the 49th minute when Correa scored. Almada added the third goal in the 72nd minute. The goal just before halftime was the key breakthrough. River Plate then scored again in the opening minutes of the second half, turning a narrow lead into a two-goal cushion. Almada’s goal in the 72nd minute completed the scoring and gave River Plate a comfortable finish. Belgrano could not produce a response after falling behind.

Galvan finished with one goal and one assist, Almada and Correa each scored once, and Montiel and Beltran each recorded an assist. Galvan was River Plate’s top star, and his performance came after recent appearances of 72 minutes at Sarmiento Junin and 89 minutes against Estudiantes Rio Cuarto. He played the full match and contributed directly to two goals.

Belgrano’s yellow cards continued after halftime. Vazquez was booked in the 51st minute and Lopez in the 61st. River Plate’s Beltran was booked in the 67th minute. The teams then made substitutions in the 68th minute: Belgrano recorded changes involving Passerini and Hernandes, while River Plate recorded changes involving Andrada and Beltran. Montiel was replaced in the 74th minute, and Belgrano recorded a substitution involving Sporle at the same time. Belgrano later had substitutions involving Vazquez and Rigoni in the 79th minute, and River Plate recorded a substitution involving Fausto Vera in the 82nd minute. The substitutions changed the closing rhythm but did not alter the score.

Among River Plate’s key performers, Galvan had one goal and one assist while playing 90 minutes. Almada played 90 minutes and scored once. Correa played 90 minutes and scored once. Montiel played 74 minutes and had one assist. Beltran played 68 minutes, had one assist and was shown a yellow card. River Plate’s attack produced its goals in the 45th minute of first-half stoppage time, the 49th minute and the 72nd minute. River Plate’s three goals came from three different scorers, while Galvan also supplied an assist. The visitors’ scoring total of three was enough for the win, and Belgrano was held scoreless at home in the match. River Plate finished with a three-goal margin, and the match ended 3-0.

The result moved River Plate to 2 wins, 0 losses and 1 draw in the competition and across all competitions. Belgrano fell to 2 wins and 1 loss in the competition and across all competitions. River Plate entered after a draw at Sarmiento Junin and a home win over Estudiantes Rio Cuarto. Belgrano entered after wins over Racing Club and Talleres Cordoba. River Plate’s victory came despite Belgrano’s home setting and the visitors’ need to manage the closing stages with substitutions.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected Belgrano 1, River Plate 0. Interstat’s ELO system gave Belgrano a 59.9 percent probability to win, and River Plate was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -0.5. The total score of 3 went under the over/under line of 2.