Stalemate Drama: San Lorenzo and River Plate in Heated Argentinian Showdown

In a tense conflict in the Argentine Primera Division, San Lorenzo and River Plate drew 0-0. River sits fourth, while San Lorenzo narrowly missed first place. VAR disallowed a San Lorenzo goal while both teams struck the crossbar. Players cited heat as a key game factor.

In an intense showdown in the Argentine Primera Division, hosts San Lorenzo and city rivals River Plate battled to a 0-0 draw in a thrilling Apertura match on Sunday.

River, who failed to secure consecutive wins after a mid-week victory against Instituto, remain in fourth place in Group B with five points. San Lorenzo missed their opportunity to claim the top spot and now sit second with seven points, behind Rosario Central on goal difference.

The first half was filled with excitement as both teams sought to open the scoring. San Lorenzo thought they'd taken an early lead with an own goal from River's Enzo Perez, only for VAR to overturn the decision due to offside. River nearly scored with a Paulo Diaz header, but it hit the crossbar, while San Lorenzo's Alexis Cuello forced a commendable save from goalkeeper Franco Armani.

San Lorenzo goalkeeper Orlando Gill played a crucial role, stopping a close-range effort from Miguel Borja. The game slowed in the intense heat at the Pedro Bidegain Stadium, with San Lorenzo's Malcolm Braida coming closest to scoring after halftime when he also struck the crossbar.

"Both teams found it challenging in these temperatures," Braida told TNT Sports. "Despite the conditions, it was an evenly matched game. River is a formidable opponent, and we aimed to play intelligently."

Looking ahead, River will host Independiente next Saturday, while San Lorenzo faces champions Velez Sarsfield on the same day.

(With inputs from agencies.)