Damn your European Super League: there are some enormous matches away from Western Europe's elite cabal, none more so than this Saturday as Boca Juniors and River Plate clash in the first half of this season's two-legged Copa Libertadores final. It promises to be fairly frantic, antic, frenetic, and splenetic, so if you fancy watching it in Ireland instead of, say, The Rugby, read on for details of where to watch Boca Juniors vs River Plate in Ireland.
Where to watch Boca Juniors vs River Plate in Ireland?
The game is live on BT Sport 2 from 8pm on Saturday evening. It is also live on FreeSports, which you'll find on Sky channel 429. If you're wondering how to tune freesports to your Sky box, these, apparently, are the requisite settings: Frequency: 11426 Polarisation: Vertical Symbol rate (Mbaud): 27.5 FEC: 5/6.
What is it all about?
The Copa is South America's version of the Champions League, and this year's final is the last to be contested across two home and away legs. The final year of this format has thrown up a remarkable pairing, as both Buenos Aires clubs - only about eight miles apart - form one of the fiercest rivalries in world football. Barca/Madrid may be the clasico, but Boca/River is the superclasico.
While both clubs have their origins in the Buenos Aires docklands, only Boca stayed there: River moved to a more affluent district in the North in 1925. Boca, therefore, identify themselves with the rugged, committed values typical of the working class, while River are more closely associated with a more urbane aesthetic.
Is it going to be a bit...bonkers?
Almost certainly, and despite the fact there are only eight miles between the clubs, there will be no away fans permitted at either leg of the final. The last time they met in this competition was at the last-16 stage of the 2015 edition. Boca were kicked out of the tournament as a portion of their fans doused River players in pepper spray as they emerged from the tunnel for the second half of the tie at the Bombonera.
Given the stakes this time around, expect there to be more madness. Buenos Aires is being shelled by a biblical rainstorm ahead of kick-off, so if this is how the world ends...it will do so with a bang.
A reminder on where to watch Boca Juniors vs River Plate in Ireland - it is on BT Sport 2 and Free Sports at 8pm on Saturday night.
