📝River Plate 0-0 Huracán: La Banda fail to impress in season opener | OneFootball

River Plate finished the 2017-18 campaign in good form but Sunday’s performance bore little resemblance to that quality.

The crowd at the Tomás Adolfo Ducó Stadium actively teased River Plate goalkeeper Franco Armani for his lacklustre performances at the World Cup. Unfortunately for him, his team-mates in the red stripes did not produce anything to quiet down the home support.

Gonzalo Nicolás Martínez flubbed a great chance to put the visitors ahead after a quarter-hour from the penalty spot. The referee whistled Carlos Araujo for a handball in the area after Martínez’s cross from the left wing hit the full-back. River Plate’s 25-year old midfielder blasted his shot over the frame of the goal in the 16th minute.

Ignacio Scocco hit a free kick from distance just before the end of the first half. Walter Gabriel Pérez earned a booking for a challenge from behind on Exequiel Palacios. From about 35 yards out, Scocco’s shot was saved well by goalkeeper Marcos Díaz.

Diego Mendoza appeared to score in first half stoppage time for the Globo but the match officials determined that his team-mate Lucas Gamba had fouled Armani.

The second half served up few clear chances but a number of offside calls for both sides. Sunday night’s scoreless draw did not flatter either side’s defense as neither team generated enough sustained offense to put the other under pressure.

Both River Plate and Huracán will be looking to put this match behind them and start their Superliga campaigns in earnest on match-day 2 next weekend.