Buenos Aires, May 13 (UNI) River Plate advanced to the quarterfinals of Argentina's Primera Division Apertura tournament with a 3-0 home victory over Barracas Central.

Paulo Diaz opened the scoring on Monday when he pounced on a loose ball to fire home from six yards, and Ignacio Fernandez doubled the lead with a first-time strike into the far corner after Franco Mastantuono's cross.

Argentina World Cup winner Marcos Acuna put the result beyond doubt by thumping a 25-yard drive that took a deflection before rebounding in off the right post.

"We knew it was going to be tough, but our players showed that they were prepared for this match," River Plate manager Marcelo Gallardo told a post-match news conference.

"Thankfully, we were able to score an early goal and then another one at the start of the second half. We managed to play our game despite the difficulty presented to us by our rival."

River's next opponent will be Platense, which progressed to the last eight by overcoming Racing Club 1-0 on Saturday.

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