Marcelo Gallardo has taken River Plate to new heights since he took over in 2014. Even though El Millonario were already getting back on their feet when he was hired, El Muñeco took them to a whole new level and made history against bitter rivals Boca Juniors.
Gallardo, who took charge of River at 38 following a successful first managerial experience at Uruguayan giants Nacional, has quickly given his team an attractive style of play and went on to win continental and domestic titles.
But besides all the trophies he delivered, Gallardo has restored pride at the Monumental by strengthening River Plate in the Superclasico meetings against Boca, the eternal rivals who have frequently had the upper hand until Gallardo arrived. Let's take a look at how the Millonario manager has fared in the derbies.
Superclasico: The record of Marcelo Gallardo as River Plate boss against Boca Juniors
The 2018 Copa Libertadores triumph will likely stand as the pinnacle of his coaching career at Nuñez, as River Plate took down the arch-rivals in a final for the ages at the Santiago Bernabeu.
However, River grabbed many memorable wins over Boca Juniors under Gallardo, besides that continental showdown. Overall, Marcelo Gallardo has a winning record as the River Plate boss against Boca: eight victories, 11 draws, and six defeats. This record considers official matches across all competitions. But if we break it down into domestic and continental matches, the numbers reflect different results.
Marcelo Gallardos' record as River Plate coach vs Boca: supremacy in the continental stage
River Plate's dominance in the Superclasico since Gallardo took over became especially clear in the Conmebol tournaments. Besides the 2018 Libertadores final, El Muñeco got the upper hand over Boca in other occasions.
In his first season in charge, River knocked Boca out of the 2014 Copa Sudamericana semifinals to eventually win their first title under Gallardo. A year later, El Millonario eliminated El Xeneize from the Libertadores round of 16 in a series that didn't lack in controversy. As in the previous year, River would also lift the trophy. The 2019 Copa Libertadores semifinals would see River and Boca face each other again and Gallardo's men advanced this time too before they lost to Flamengo. This is Gallardo's record in the Superclasicos for Conmebol competitions: W5, D2, L1.
Marcelo Gallardo's record as River coach vs Boca at the domestic level
Things were more even at the domestic level: four wins, eight draws, and five defeats. One of those victories, however, came in the 2018 Argentine Supercup months before River beat Boca again in the Libertadores final. Last year, Gallardo won his first league derby at home after previously losing three times at the Monumental. Will he add another victory to his record this weekend?
