El Mellizo reunites with Núñez's team and with Marcelo Gallardo for the first time since the fateful 2018 Libertadores final
Already with Marcelo Gallardo on River's bench, the two encounters between 2014 and 2015 (still with Guillermo at Lanús) ended in draws.
Thus, Mellizo's cycle at Granate closed with a balanced history against Millonario. Of the 8 encounters he had, 6 of which were against Ramón Díaz, he achieved two victories, three draws, and three defeats.
Just like it happened recently with Fernando Gago, another protagonist of the historic 2018 Copa Libertadores final will once again face Marcelo Gallardo's River. This time, it will be Guillermo Barros Schelotto who returns to the Monumental stadium, but no longer as Boca's coach, instead leading Vélez.
In this new stage, he will try to change the course of a rivalry that marked his time with Xeneize and that, in part, cost him the position almost seven years ago.
The relationship of Mellizo with River began to take shape during his time as a Boca idol and later as a coach. His first encounter as a coach was leading Lanús, in the final match of the 2012 Torneo Inicial. Back then, he fell 1-0 in Núñez with a goal by Rodrigo Mora, which left him without a chance to finish on the podium.
However, he would have his revenge in 2013, as he thrashed 5-1 at the Fortaleza in the local championship and eliminated Ramón Díaz's team in the quarterfinals of the Copa Sudamericana, with a 3-1 at the Monumental.
After his very brief stint at Palermo in Italy, Barros Schelotto would take over at Boca at the beginning of 2016. His start against River was positive, achieving a victory and two draws in his first three Superclásicos. But from the 3-1 defeat at La Bombonera in 2017, the story changed.
His time at the club from La Ribera was marked by three very significant defeats, the 2018 Supercopa Argentina final in Mendoza, the 2-0 loss in the Superliga, and the most painful of all, the Copa Libertadores final in Madrid.
That last defeat at Santiago Bernabéu sealed his departure from Boca. His final balance against River was four wins, six draws, and seven losses, while in direct encounters with Gallardo he accumulated two victories, five draws, and four defeats.
