It was a final. For Estudiantes, for Boca, for Argentine football. A key, decisive, six-point match for the League Cup, which, as usually happens in these cases, ended up being defined by details. This time, the score fell to the home side, who took advantage of a rude mistake by Sergio Romero and put one and a half feet in the quarterfinals. Xeneize, which came from three victories in a row, generated very little in attack and will have to beat Godoy Cruz (already qualified) in the Bombonera to not depend on other results.
The first half (33 minutes) passed very quickly. Chiquito Romero and Matías Mansilla were luxury spectators of a match without emotions. The most dangerous thing? A shot by Fernando Zuqui that found the former national team goalkeeper well saved and a cross cross by Luis Advíncula that Eros Mancuso rejected with a header from the edge of the six-yard box. Little, too little for two teams that intend to be candidates and that needed the three points to start moving towards the classification.
In the previous round, Estudiantes had four units enough to advance to the next stage, while Xeneize had enough with a victory in La Plata to start thinking about what is coming, in the next stage. Even so, the first half showed two teams that went out to study each other, that generated little in attack and argued much more than they played. The most outstanding thing about the first half was the duel that Marcos Rojo experienced with the Estudiantes fans, that once again they took revenge against the former Manchester United centre-back.
The best of the match
Boca started better, planted in the middle of the field and trying to control the actions of the game. With Equi and Pol Fernández in the axis, Medina in the hook position and Zenón coming and going from the left, Xeneize occupied the spaces better and tried to take control of the first minutes. But everything didn’t last long. Estudiantes quickly adjusted the marks in the middle and between Ascacibar and Enzo Pérez they neutralized Boca’s good intentions. The business, for both of them, was on the rise. In Blanco, in Advíncula, in Mancuso, in Cetré. In Zeno. From the feet of the former Union, in fact, Boca’s clearest chance was born in the second half: Lema climbed the field in the middle, opened for Zenón and the midfielder’s low cross narrowly missed being deflected by Cavani. Edinson had just scored seven goals in his last six games, but he almost didn’t come into play and the only one he had he didn’t take advantage of.
The changes at the beginning of the complement broke the game. The two were encouraged to win it and the midfield became a transit zone for both of them. Diego Martínez opted to play on the wings and add people in the Mansilla area. He sent Jabes Saralegui onto the field to propose a one-on-one match against Mancuso (in place of Pol, who was reprimanded and with poor performance) and Miguel Merentiel to replace Langoni, to form the double 9. Eduardo Domínguez responded with the power of Javier Correa and the technique of Pablo Piatti, exclusive protagonists of the goal that broke parity. They were going to be the partners of the winning goal.
At 21 minutes into the second half (it was played until the 33rd minute), the striker sent a corner kick from the left, Correa combed it at the edge of the area (he beat Saralegui in the jump, who took a second to go to dispute the ball) and Romero, crouched on the line, could not contain the shot and ended up sending it in with his palms. her hands. A blooper.
There was little left for the comeback and Estudiantes did not take long to close the game. Domínguez put together a line of five in the back and Boca went to look for him with four forwards (Janson and Benedetto joined Cavani and Merentiel), but the story did not change. Boca was confident and Estudiantes unexpectedly found victory.
Now Pincha is Godoy Cruz’s escort in Zone B with 24 points and with the tie on the Lanús court they will qualify for the quarterfinals. In fact, they could even fall with Granate and remain in the playoff zone, since they could only be left out if Defensa y Justicia (against Newell’s) and Boca (against Tomba) and Racing (against Belgrano) also win.
With defeat, Xeneize came fifth and will have to wait until Tuesday to try to seal the classification. With the victory in La Bombonera, he is in; If he ties it will depend on others, and if he loses he will see the definition of the championship on TV. In La Plata, Martínez’s team did not show up, took a step back in the game and complicated their chances in an unexpected way. In his house and with his people, there will be no room for error.