Copa Libertadores 2018 final suspended: Match off after Boca team bus attacked by River fans

The match will now take place on Sunday evening

The second leg of the Copa Libertadores final between Argentinian rivals Boca Juniors and River Plate has been suspended.

The match between the Buenos Aires rivals on Saturday evening was delayed twice after the Boca bus came under attack from River fans as it arrived at the stadium.

CONMEBOL, the South American Football Confederation, then decided to postpone the match entirely after the attack, which left two Boca players hospitalised.

The match will now kick-off at 17.00 local time on Sunday evening: 20.00GMT.

Television footage showed River supporters hurling objects at the bus as it made its way to the El Monumental ground.

Several windows were smashed with numerous Boca players suffering cuts from broken glass. Reports from local news outlets also claimed that some players were taken ill due to the effects of tear gas, used by police to help disperse the crowds.

After the incident, Carlos Tevez said that Boca Juniors were “not in a condition to play” the second leg of the Copa Libertadores final.

“We are not in condition to play. They're forcing us to play the game,” Tevez said on FOX.

Boca players Pablo Perez and Gonzalo Lamardo both had to be taken by ambulance to hospital, the former with slivers of broken glass in his eyes and the latter a cut on his head.

The Boca team bus came under attack (AFP/Getty)

The bus driver, meanwhile, was reportedly knocked unconscious after being hit by a rock.

General secretary Christian Gribaudo was quoted as saying by the website of Argentinian newspaper Clarin: "The players are all injured, you can't play likes this."

Former Argentina striker Gabriel Batistuta branded the scenes "shameful", saying on Twitter: "Another opportunity lost in front of the whole world that observes us, shameful, lamentable."

Boca's former Real Madrid midfielder Fernando Gago also expressed his unhappiness that the game looked set to go ahead, saying: "I can not believe it, I was very surprised. Many players suffered, I had an allergic reaction and there were players who had a hard time breathing.

No away fans were permitted at the match (Getty)

"We have no choice. If we have to play, we are going to play."

Saturday's violence came three years after the second leg of a Copa Libertadores last-16 tie between Boca and River was abandoned at half-time after Boca fans attacked the River players with pepper spray as they returned to the pitch after the interval. Boca were disqualified from the competition.

The final is finely poised at 2-2 after the first leg two weeks ago.