A fiery and ferocious Superclasico between Argentinian sides Boca Juniors and River Plate ended with riot shields as defender Gonzalo Montiel was escorted off the pitch by security staff following a late red card.

The biggest domestic match in Argentina’s Primera Division was littered with heavy tackles, physical altercations and interruptions as Boca Juniors secured a 1-0 victory at their home stadium of La Bombonera.

The tone was set in the first half as Lucas Martinez Quarta yanked the shirt of Boca striker Miguel Merentiel and was dismissed with a straight red card just 10 minutes into the match leaving River Plate with 10-men.

That intensified the raucous atmosphere inside La Bombonera and frustrations for the visitors grew when Lautaro Di Lollo sent Boca into the lead. Those frustrations boiled over again in the 79th minute as Montiel threw himself into a late challenge on Lautaro Blanco and received a second straight red card of the game reducing River Plate to nine players.

The right-back then taunted the vociferous home fans as he strode around the side of the pitch following his dismissal by pointing to himself, the River Plate badge on his shirt and making a spinning motion with his index finger, clearly referencing the two finals that River Plate won against Boca Juniors in 2018.

He also departed with a full smile and grin at the baying Boca supporters whose response was to launch projectiles from the stands at the defender.

Montiel was quickly approached by two security staff in riot gear who guided him to safety. Their riot shields were needed multiple times as they shielded the River Plate player from a variety of thrown objects including beer cans.

The game was a difficult one for referee Nicolas Ramirez who has come under criticism for his quick dismissal’s of River Plate players without affording the same considerations to Boca Juniors’ stars. Blanco, who was fouled by Montiel, had previously only been shown a yellow card for similar tackle on Tobias Andrada while Nicolas Paredes escaped a second yellow and Di Lollo was reprieved for a shirt pull inside the box on Nicolas Otamendi - a similar incident to Martinez Quarta’s previous red card offence.