2018 Copa Libertadores finals

The first leg of the final was originally scheduled for 7 November, with the second leg on 28 November 2018 (both on Wednesdays).[15] However, after the finalists were known, CONMEBOL adjusted the dates, with the first leg (hosted by Boca Juniors, the lower seed) on 10 November and the second leg (hosted by River Plate, the higher seed) on 24 November (both Saturdays at 16:00 local time).[1] The Argentine Football Association opposed the date change. Following discussion, the final was moved to 17:00 local time.[2] The first leg was postponed less than two hours before kickoff due to Boca Junior's pitch at the Estadio Alberto J. Armando being waterlogged due to local flooding.[16] The match was rescheduled for the following day, 11 November, with the kickoff moved to 16:00 local time.[17][18] The game was goalless until the 34th minute mark, when Ramón Ábila put Boca ahead, only for Lucas Pratto to equalise 90 seconds later.[19] Dario Benedetto then restored Boca's lead, to make the score 2–1 at half-time. However, the game was to end all square at 2–2 after Carlos Izquierdoz scored an own goal for River plate in the 61st minute.[19][20]

The Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti in Buenos Aires, Argentina, was originally to host the second leg, but the match was moved due to safety concerns following an attack on the Boca Juniors team bus outside the stadium when they were travelling to the original second leg.

Prior to the second leg of the final on 24 November, the Boca Juniors team bus was attacked en route to River Plate's stadium, the Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti. Multiple windows were broken by projectiles thrown from a crowd surrounding the bus, allowing pepper spray to enter the cabin. Several players were injured as a result of the broken glass and pepper spray, with the match delayed by one hour to 18:00 local time.[22] Kickoff was later moved to 18:20 local time,[23] and again to 19:15,[24] before once more being delayed until 19:30.[25] Following the delays, the match was rescheduled for the following day, 25 November, with the same kickoff, 17:00 local time.[26] Former Boca Juniors and River Plate striker Gabriel Batistuta called the attacks "shameful".[26]

On 25 November, prior to the rescheduled second leg, Boca Juniors requested that the match be postponed in order for it to be played in "conditions of equality."[27] CONMEBOL postponed the match once more as Boca's requirements could not guaranteed.[28] On 27 November, CONMEBOL confirmed the second leg would be played outside Argentina due to safety concerns, with the match taking place on 8 or 9 December.[29] Subsequently, on 29 November, CONMEBOL confirmed the match would take place at the Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid, Spain, on 9 December at 20:30 local time.[5][30]

For security reasons, prior to the first leg, both clubs unanimously agreed to prohibit away fans from attending either match.[31] However, following the decision by CONMEBOL to move the second leg to Madrid, these plans were altered, with 5,000 tickets allocated to each club. Additionally, River Plate were reprimanded for the bus attack, fined $400,000, and ordered to play two games behind closed doors in the Estadio Monumental.[32] Real Madrid sold 25,000 tickets to fans of each team, as over 250,000 Argentines live and work in Spain, including the Real Madrid manager at the time, Santiago Solari, a former River Plate midfielder.[33] Real also agreed to sell tickets to their season ticket holders, which sold out quickly.[34] Security responsibilities for the second leg were delegated to the Spanish football federation, rather than CONMEBOL, with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez saying that plans were underway to have the "necessary deployments to ensure the event is secure".[35]

However, additional concerns were reputedly raised by both clubs following the decision to move the game to Madrid. Leonardo Ponzio, the River Plate captain, was allegedly involved in a match-fixing scandal during his time at Real Zaragoza,[36] and as such his eligibility to play football in Spain was unclear at the time.[37] There were also reports that Boca Juniors intended to appeal the decision to relocate the second leg.[38] In a subsequent press release, River Plate also announced an intent to protest the CONMEBOL decision to play in Madrid.[39] Boca Juniors appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to have the second leg postponed, but was rejected, although the court would continue to consider whether River should be suspended.[40]

The second leg finally went ahead in front of a crowd of approximately 72,000 in the Bernabéu. Most of the early opportunities fell to Boca, and finally Dario Benedetto, who had also scored in the first leg, scored in the 44th minute to give Boca a half-time lead.[41] In the second half, River Plate fought back and finally equalised after another first-leg scorer, Lucas Pratto, scored in the 68th minute.[41] The match then went to extra time, during which Boca were reduced to 10 men after Wilmar Barrios was sent off. River Plate took advantage, with Juan Quintero putting them into the lead in the 109th minute. An injury to Fernando Gago in the 116th minute, left Boca to just 9 men having used all substitutions. In the final minute Leonardo Jara hit the post for Boca, only for River Plate to break upfield and make the final score 3–1, with Pity Martínez shooting into an empty net.[41][42] "It's been almost 60 days since this started and there is tremendous sadness," said the Boca manager, Guillermo Barros Schelotto.[41]