Boca scored the goals first and then justified them. He beat Barracas Central 2-1 in Santiago del Estero and He went to the round of 16 of the Argentine Cup in which he will face the winner of the match that Excursionistas and Almagro will play next week in Morón.
Christian Medina at the end of a very bad first stage in Boca and Michael Merentiel in the beginning of the second they shaped the victory. Alexis Puigwith a great goal, discounted for Barracas Central who put up effort and intensity but succumbed to the greater xeneize hierarchy.
Cristian Medina’s goal on the last ball partly hid Boca’s very weak first half. After the initial 20 minutes, he couldn’t stand the high pressure that Barracas put him through and he began to throw balls from the bottom line and split his possession.
So much so that the goal that came after a break from Benedetto on the right, a cross that Merentiel lowered and a remarkable right hand from Medina from outside the area It was his only risky situation. Barracas didn’t come that far either. But after a timid start, he took Boca to his field, squeezed him up high and didn’t let him play according to his means and his convenience.
Barracas wanted to sustain that pressure in the second half. But Boca did not let him. And in a burst of one minute, first Díaz took a shot from Merentiel on the line and immediately after, Merentiel himself, after a great play by Medina, scored the 2-0 score.
But the game was not closed. After a bad start from the bottom of Boca, the 18, Puig discounted for Barracas with a hellish right from outside the area and three minutes later, Romero headbutted Alexis Domínguez. Exequiel Zeballos reappeared to play the last quarter of an hour. And in a couple of counter-attack runs and a free kick that he hit the crossbar, he could have scored a few more goals for Boca than, like on Sunday in La Plata, he scored the goals first and only later the merits to win and advance in the Argentine Cup.