After celebrating the title of the Professional League Cup against Tigre last Sunday, Boca Juniors achieved their second goal of the week this Thursday: advancing to the round of 16 of the Copa Libertadores as first in the group with a 1-0 win. against Deportivo Cali, from Colombia, in the Bombonera, for the sixth and last date of zone E.
Boca set out to be the protagonist from the beginning, constantly looking for the rival goal but lacking clarity in the last touch to specify what he was insinuating. The stick denied the opening of the scoring to Varela, who had tried his luck with a shot from outside the area, in the clearest of xeneize at this stage. The problem was in the good defensive work of the Colombian team that, with Guillermo Burdisso as a standard, closed Benedetto’s paths and forced Boca to play outside and throw centers that they could not take advantage of.
Despite not finding the goal he needed to stay out of the Cup, Boca did not despair and continued to dominate the process, while the Caleño team, which had an erratic Teófilo Gutiérrez, could not get out of the friction and left filling with yellow It was that same attitude that, in the 55th minute, allowed Battaglia’s team to take the lead after a play that began with a free kick on the sideline of the area after a foul on Fabra.
Romero put the center in and after a rebound and a punch to the outside by goalkeeper De Amores, the ball was again served to Varela, who this time with a tremendous right foot from below surprised the Colombian goalkeeper to make it 1-0, which allowed him Boca climbed from third to first place in the group, thanks to Corinthians’ draw (1-1) at home against Always Ready from Bolivia.
Having gained the advantage, and with several signs of firmness from the last line, Battaglia moved the bench to try to give more speed and freshness to his attack with the additions of Ramírez, Vázquez and Medina for Salvio, Benedetto and Zeballos.
The last minutes were pure vertigo. The xeneizes, encouraged by their fans, decided to play with the desperation of the Colombians and continued looking for the rival goal to ensure victory. With Bombonera excited, and Boca going on the attack again and again, Deportivo Cali had – on counterattack – a very clear chance to tie the match, at 86 minutes. But Rossi, who until then had not had so much work, contained the shot for the tranquility of the xeneizes fans, coach Battaglia and, mainly, Juan Román Riquelme, the creator of a project that, overcoming obstacles, continues to bear fruit.
50 Deportivo Cali fans arrested
In the midst of the conflict with the Racing brava, at least 50 fans of Deportivo Cali de Colombia who were carrying knives were arrested in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Puerto Madero, where “a tragedy” was avoided, according to the Minister of Justice and Security of the City, Marcelo D’Alessandro.
In the vicinity of the hotel where the Deportivo Cali team is concentrated in the face of the transcendental match against Boca in the Bombonera for the qualification for the round of 16 of the Copa Libertadores, the supporters of the Colombian cast were arrested during an operation in which it was discovered that they had blades, knives and pocket knives in their possession.
Along these lines, the official continued: “There were Colombians who live in Argentina and others who came to watch the game. They should be deported immediately and when entering our country, they should ask for records.”
