Franco Armani's key saves to save River Plate

The years go by, and with them the players who wear the River Plate shirt, who go from good to bad. However, one of them remains immovable: Franco Armani . At 38 years old, the goalkeeper continues to demonstrate his absolute validity, and was one of the stars in the victory against Boca Juniors .

The goalkeeper's afternoon had been uneventful. He wasn't particularly involved in Miguel Merentiel's goal , thanks to the striker's exquisite finishing; his presence was limited to taking in a few crosses and organizing his teammates defensively. But just when it seemed the derby was ending without any big moments from him, duty called.

River Plate - Boca Juniors, for the Professional League

EFE/ Juan Ignacio Roncoroni

With Boca Juniors pushing forward in search of a desperate equalizer, Armani was called upon twice . First in the 44th minute, when Carlos Palacios took a tight corner, and Lautaro Di Lollo, in a flurry of legs, slid it in with difficulty. The Octopus flew to clear the ball, which was angled and low toward the goal.

In Xeneize's last chance of the match, after a poor clearance by River's defense, Saracchi switched the ball to Zenón, who found Ayton Costa inside the six-yard box, who headed it in from close range and challenged the Millonario captain once again . Given the danger of the situation and the goalkeeper's excellent response, the entire stadium erupted in applause.

In a press conference after the victory, manager Marcelo Gallardo spoke about the goalkeeper's performance. " Franco is always there ," he said. He then added, "He shows up when he's needed. It's not something we're unaware of. Along with Enzo Pérez, they are players who clearly have experience in these types of matches and classics, and the team values ​​him greatly."

In this way, Franco Armani once again proved his worth, reaffirming the reasons why he is the owner of one of the most important goals in South American football. At 38 years old, and with multiple titles under his belt, the Octopus is not content and continues to deliver.