Boca Juniors, which has three victories in a row, will visit Independiente this Wednesday in a decisive classic in the fight for qualification for the next Copa Libertadores de América, with four dates remaining for the end of the 2021 Professional League tournament. The match corresponding to date 22 will be played from 9:30 p.m. at the Libertadores de América stadium, with arbitration by Pablo Echavarría and broadcast by TNT Sports.
In the first meeting with the possibility of having the capacity at 100%, Independiente will play for the last time in the Libertadores de América since from December -in the next duel against San Lorenzo- he will be renamed Ricardo Enrique Bochini, one of the top idols of the institution.
The most winning clubs of the Copa Libertadores (Independiente has 7 titles and Boca, 6) fight to qualify for the 2022 edition and the classic could be decisive for the aspirations of both.
Boca has 58 points in the annual table and at the moment it is two from the last direct qualifying place, while Independiente is more complicated since it is seven from its rival and nine from the access positions when twelve remain at stake.
The two teams, however, could benefit from the quotas that will open if River Plate finally becomes champion of the 2021 tournament or even if Boca manages to win the Argentine Cup.
Xeneize is on the rise after two consecutive victories against Sarmiento (2-0) in La Bombonera and Aldosivi (3-0) in Mar del Plata that joined the victory over Argentinos Juniors (1-0) to qualify for the final of the Argentine Cup.
The “Rojo” lost in his visit to Santiago del Estero against Central Córdoba 1-0 and again squandered a good opportunity to add two wins in a row.
Boca’s good present allows coach Sebastián Battaglia to have the possibility of repeating the initial formation for the first time in the cycle that has already been 17 games.
In return, Julio César Falcioni is obliged to modify the team since midfielder Lucas Romero is suspended for five yellow cards. In addition, the DT will not be able to count on Alan So Señora, who suffered a tear before the last match, due to injury.
The “King of Cups” will try to maintain the unbeaten of four dates (two draws and two wins) that he has been at home and continue with chances of achieving the goal of getting into the top South American tournament.
Of the last seven meetings outside of La Bombonera, Boca won five and only lost two, but precisely the defeats were against teams from the top of the standings such as River Plate, the current leader, and Vélez Sarsfield, the second best ranked in the annual.
Battaglia will evaluate the physical condition of Marcos Rojo and Juan Ramírez, who returned to play after overcoming injuries, but will most likely repeat the formation he presented in the victory over Sarmiento at La Bombonera.
Falcioni has two options to replace “Dog” Romero: the Uruguayan Carlos Benavídez and Tomás Pozzo. Benavídez was already a starter in the defeat in Rosario against Newell’s and is the player with the most characteristics similar to those of Romero.
This will be the third classic followed in Avellaneda. In 2020 Boca won 2-1 and in March of this year they equaled 1-1. The last victory for Independiente was on April 15, 2018 when they won 1-0 at home.
Newell’s receives Central Córdoba
In another of the matches of the day, Newell’s Old Boys will be local to Central Córdoba de Santiago del Estero. The meeting will begin at 5:00 p.m., it will be refereed by Fernando Espinoza and televised by the cable signal TNT Sports.
The local, which has 23 points and is ranked 21st in the LPF, comes from losing 3-1 as a visitor to the last, Arsenal, so it will seek to recover and resume the path of victory, after two consecutive wins at home, against Independiente and Union, both 1-0.
The interim technical director, Adrián Taffarel, will not have the return of the first central marker Cristian Lema, who suffered a right adductor injury and will undergo a diagnostic imaging study.
In front will be Central Córdoba de Santiago del Estero, which is penultimate along with San Lorenzo, with 20 points, and has just defeated Independiente 1-0 at home and Sarmiento 3-1 as a visitor, after eight games without winning.
Sarmiento and Banfield, for the points
Sarmiento will receive Banfield in Junín with the aim of both teams to re-add and recover from defeats. The match will be played from 5 pm at the Eva Perón stadium, with arbitration by Ariel Penel and television by Fox Sports Premium. Sarmiento (23 points) comes from losing to Boca Juniors (2-0) and in the last four games he won one, lost two and tied the rest. Banfield (21) fell to Aldosivi also 2-0 and in his last four games he won two and lost the other two.
Defense seeks to continue his streak
With four wins in a row and 22 of the last 24 points won, Defensa y Justicia will visit Atlético Tucumán, who under the tactical leadership of Pablo Guiñazú has not yet won, in order to consolidate itself in the classification zone of the Copa Sudamericana. The game will be played this Wednesday at the José Fierro Monumental Stadium from 7.15pm, with the refereeing by Andrés Gariano and televised by Fox Sports.
Remarkable moment of Defense and Justice under the leadership of Sebastián Beccacece, he does not stop winning, playing well and counting on one of the best players in the tournament such as Walter Bou (whose pass belongs to Boca), who has scored four goals in the past three journeys.
In silence, the Falcon is already qualifying for the South American and is third in the League, with ambitions to fight for the runner-up to Talleres.
Atlético Tucumán lives the opposite, Pablo Guiñazú took office in the 17th. date instead of Omar De Felippe and still did not win, adding two draws and three defeats. The team from Tucumán has no chances of qualifying for international cups and their average is dropping a lot.
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