Wilmar Barrios was sent off for Boca Juniors on Sunday night.
At long, long last, River Plate and Boca Juniors played out the second leg of their historic Copa Libertadores final on Sunday, with River running out 3-1 winners on the night.
Staggering scenes in Buenos Aires two weeks ago saw the game delayed and postponed before being moved to Madrid in a remarkable sequence of events.
After a 2-2 draw in the first leg, River claimed the win, bragging rights and the Copa Libertadores trophy, and one Boca player was left to feel worse than any other.
Midfielder Wilmar Barrios came into the game as one of the key players, boasting the nickname of ‘The Pitbull’ for his ferocious play in midfield.
The Colombian got himself into trouble for that brash, aggressive nature against England at the World Cup, and he was back at it again on Sunday night.
Barrios was sent off for a nasty-looking challenge just as extra time started, picking up a second yellow card in a moment that turned the game; River went on to score twice with Barrios off the pitch.
Strong rumours in Argentina, including this from El Crack Deportivo, have suggested that Barrios is a £20million target for Tottenham Hotspur in January, but Sunday’s red may have just ruined those chances.
Getting sent off in such a huge game is the sort of thing that Mauricio Pochettino won’t want to see, and he may now feel that, with Spurs needing a midfielder who can be relied upon in huge Champions League and Premier League encounters, Barrios may not be the man to trust.
That aggressive nature is part of what makes Barrios such a great midfielder, but his red card ultimately cost his side their biggest game in recent memory, and it may just leave Spurs to look elsewhere rather than take a risk on Barrios.
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