Boca defeated River 3 to 2 in the League Cup quarterfinal clash. Martínez’s team had several high points in the victory in the Superclásico and These are the scores of the Xeneize footballers that will be measured before Estudiantes in the next instance.
Sergio Romero (7): the great person responsible for Boca’s drive to victory. He had suffered 0-1 from Miguel Borja, without responsibility, but his tremendous reflexes prevented the goal against Lema on the line when the match was 1-1, the complement had just begun and that the VAR annulled when seeing the saving slap on the line. It was the most decisive play of the game. He blocked Paulo Díaz’s header on the hour mark, but he could do nothing about the rebound and conceded a barely anecdotal second goal in the standings.
Luis Advíncula (7): He was already climbing on the right and making it difficult for Enzo Díaz before assisting Merentiel for the first goal. His deployment along the wing was very careful and, when Martínez decided to advance him as a midfielder, he did not modify his performance.
Cristian Lema (5): The goal was scored due to a sudden rebound on his leg, which the judges counted, but which the VAR annulled. Infallible in the aerial game, Boca protected the area with its headers. But the mobility of Colidio and Echeverri suffered in the one-on-one matches.
Marcos Rojo (5): In the first half, the only reprehensible thing was a direct back pass to River’s corner. Reprimanded as soon as the ST started for fighting with Borja. He was firm in the aerial game, but avoided going one-on-one many times, so as not to pay with the speed of his rivals.
Lautaro Blanco (7): He struggled to stand out as Demichelis seemed to plan to cover the sides and prevent his raises. When he was able to overflow in the first half, he strangely made a mistake by throwing it over the top and not flush before the forwards entered to push it. Reprimanded 30 minutes into the second period, they did not hurt him and during the rest of the game he loosened up more in attack.
Jabes Saralegui (5): shy. He annoyed Diego Martínez during the first half. He generated a counterattack from Marcelo Herrera for a forced pass. For all that, it was the first change that the coach decided so that Nicolás Figal would enter and Advíncula would advance to the youth position.
Ezequiel Fernández (6): Demichelis’ initial plan was to try to cover him at the start as he was the team’s No. 5. Therefore, until Martínez rearranged the midfield and decided to release it more, he was tied up and uncomfortable. In some plays, like Miguel Borja’s goal, he was far from his position and at the wrong time. However, he later ended up gaining confidence, generating infractions, taking the ball and delivering it well. Key in the pressure for Herrera to hurry up and leave it short before Boca’s second goal.
Guillermo Fernández (7): the “Pol” that President Juan Román Riquelme always talks about. Intelligent, active, confident and with much more correct decisions than the ones he usually makes and annoys his people. The superclassic fit him just right. His performance exchanged boos and indifferent exits for loud applause at the Mario Alberto Kempes.
Kevin Zenón (8): one of the team’s top figures. In the first half it was the key to finding play in the center, perhaps what Demichelis wanted to avoid. He had a dangerous free kick in the first half, but in the second half his level improved. He had assisted Edinson Cavani in the 13th minute for a volley that went over, but a few seconds later he placed it on his head and the Uruguayan did not miss. On the podium, without a doubt.
Miguel Merentiel (8): the maximum figure. It was difficult for her to adapt to the procedure. In fact, he was about to end the first half only with the warning he earned in the 44th minute. However, his game began in stoppage time of that stage with the left-footed finish after Advíncula’s pass that allowed the tie at a key moment. Tireless effort to force errors, he had another reward in the 21st minute: he was the setter and scorer of the third goal, fighting first in the middle of the field, then giving in to Cavani and finishing on the rebound. Replaced by Langoni, five minutes from time, and applauded by the fans: together with his strike partner they heard the “Uruguayan, Uruguayan!”
Edinson Cavani (8): always correct when the ball comes to him, the superclásico ended up being the test that ended up ensuring that he reunited with the player who left Europe. He badly grabbed the ball that Zenón gave him at mid-height and at the penalty spot 13 minutes into the second half, but he immediately scored his desired goal: three minutes later, he scored a header after taking advantage, now, of the left-handed driver’s cross. He was cautioned for slapping González Pirez and replaced 20 minutes from time by Darío Benedetto, to the applause of the fans.
Nicolás Figal (4): The defender entered as a right back, but seemed insecure and even nervous. He lost to anyone who wanted to overwhelm him, he should have been fouled near the area and he should have even been sent off for a kick over Enzo Díaz’s knee.
Dario Benedetto: He ran more to occupy spaces at the end than what he could do with the ball. He didn’t have goal situations.
Luca Langoni and Jorman Campuzano: They entered together with five minutes left, so they were dedicated to the defensive aspect to hold on to the 3-1 score that ended up being 3-2 in the last play of the game.