Independiente Rivadavia wins 4-2, leads Zone C

Independiente Rivadavia left Venezuela with more than three points. The Argentine club beat Deportivo La Guaira 4-2 on May 21 and locked up first place in Copa Libertadores Group C with one match still to play. CONMEBOL said Alfredo Berti’s team reached 13 points from five games, a total no other side in the group can match. (gol.conmebol.com) Álex Arce drove the result again. The Paraguayan striker scored three times for his second hat-trick of the tournament, while Sebastián Villa added the other goal in Caracas. (gol.conmebol.com) Diego Osío and Juan Castellanos scored for La Guaira, according to TyC Sports. The result capped a fast rise for a club that has turned its group-stage campaign into one of the surprises of this Libertadores. CONMEBOL said Independiente Rivadavia remained unbeaten through five matches and secured the group lead before the last round. (gol.conmebol.com) ### How did Independiente Rivadavia clinch the group with one game left? CONMEBOL’s standings showed Independiente Rivadavia on 13 points after five matches, with Bolívar and Fluminense both on five and La Guaira on three. That gap means the Mendoza side cannot be caught at the top in the final round. The 4-2 win also strengthened the team’s numbers across the group stage. (tycsports.com) CONMEBOL said Independiente Rivadavia had scored 12 goals and conceded five through five games, while TyC Sports reported the club had already advanced to the round of 16 before sealing first place. ### Why is Álex Arce the central figure in this run? Álex Arce finished the night with eight goals in the competition, according to CONMEBOL, which described him as the tournament’s leading scorer. (gol.conmebol.com) The governing body also said this was his second hat-trick of the 2026 Libertadores. TyC Sports said Arce had also scored three goals against the same opponent earlier in the group stage. (gol.conmebol.com) That repeat damage against La Guaira underlined how much of Independiente Rivadavia’s attack has flowed through the Paraguayan forward. ### Who else shaped the 4-2 result in Caracas? Sebastián Villa scored Independiente Rivadavia’s second goal and set up Arce’s first, CONMEBOL said. The same report said Matías Fernández supplied three assists, including the pass that led to Villa’s goal. TyC Sports identified La Guaira’s scorers as Diego Osío and Juan Castellanos, with Castellanos scoring from a free kick. (gol.conmebol.com) The Venezuelan side stayed bottom of the group with three points after three draws and two defeats. ### How unusual is this campaign for the Mendoza club? (tycsports.com) CONMEBOL said Independiente Rivadavia was one of four unbeaten teams left in the competition after five rounds. The governing body also said no team had scored more goals than Independiente Rivadavia at that stage of the tournament. (gol.conmebol.com) The club’s attack has been driven by a front line built around Arce, Villa and Fernández. CONMEBOL credited that trio for another decisive performance in Venezuela as Berti’s side closed in on the knockout rounds as a seeded group winner. ### What comes next in Group C? (tycsports.com) May 27 is the date for the final Group C matches. TyC Sports said Independiente Rivadavia will travel to La Paz to face Bolívar, while Deportivo La Guaira will visit Fluminense in Brazil. Those fixtures will decide the remaining positions behind the group winner. (gol.conmebol.com) Independiente Rivadavia, already through and already first, will play the last round with 13 points and the chance to finish the phase with an unbeaten record. (tycsports.com)