Fresh off a thrilling semi-final victory over Palmeiras in the Copa Libertadores this past Thursday, Boca Juniors can increase their chances of returning to that competition next season when they travel to Estadio Julio Cesar Villagra for a date with Belgrano on Tuesday in the second phase of the Argentine Primera Division season.
After seven matches in this round, El Celeste sit two points behind Group B leaders Central Cordoba following a 0-0 draw at Talleres, while Boca are 11th in that group with seven points from seven games, four points back of a place in the second stage of the Libertadores next year, losing their previous domestic fixture 2-0 to their arch-rivals River Plate.
Match preview
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Following a dismal ending to the opening phase of the league season, failing to score in their final six fixtures and gaining just two points over that stretch, Belgrano have looked like a completely different side domestically in this round, unbeaten in seven successive matches and without a goal conceded in their last four.
Throughout the 2023 season, Guillermo Farre's men have proven they belong with the big boys in the Primera Division, currently just a point back of a place in the Copa Sudamericana next year, in what is their first campaign in the Argentine top-flight since 2018-19.
They are not the most aggressive side in the top flight, but Belgrano are among the most well-organised, currently tied for the second-fewest goals conceded in this portion of the competition (three).
El Pirata have looked the most potent when playing in front of their home fans, scoring the second-most goals in Group B so far (eight), including six at Estadio Julio Cesar Villagra.
Belgrano have not conceded a single goal at home in the first 45 minutes of this competition since a 1-0 defeat versus San Lorenzo on matchday 25 in the opening stage and have only trailed once in this round, though it was for fewer than 10 minutes on matchday two (2-2 draw at San Lorenzo).
As good as their form has been in this phase, however, they have missed opportunities to climb up the table, squandering a pair of second-half advantages versus San Lorenzo and Newell's Old Boys (1-1), losing four points as a result.
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Xeneize have a chance to end the Brazilian dominance at the Copa Libertadores and become the first side outside of the Brasileiro Serie A to lift that famous trophy since 2018.
Before they can think about matching Independiente for the most Libertadores titles, though, Jorge Almiron's men have plenty of work to do domestically, as they sit fourth from bottom in Group B.
Through 34 league fixtures between phase one and two this season, Boca Juniors have already suffered 13 defeats, five more than they incurred in 2022.
All those defeats have occurred when this team conceded the opening goal, with Xeneize failing to reply in 10 of those instances.
In the opening phase of this competition, they failed to find the back of the net in nearly half of their road contests (6/13) and have not improved much in that department this term, having been shut out in two of their three domestic encounters away from home.
Azul y Oro do, however, have a solid track record when facing Belgrano, suffering just one defeat in their previous nine matches in all competitions versus the club from Cordoba while only losing twice on the road against them in 10 previous encounters.
Team News
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Matias Garcia is not expected to return to the Belgrano lineup until mid-October because of a muscle injury, while they made only one change to their starting 11 from matchday six to seven, with Facundo Lencioni coming in to replace Lautaro Pastran.
Nahuel Losada has posted four successive clean sheets domestically, and they have needed him to be sharp between the sticks as El Celeste have only scored in three of their encounters this round without Pablo Vegetti, who was loaned to Vasco da Gama in August after netting 12 times for Belgrano in the opening phase of the Primera campaign.
Half of their goals in the second round have come courtesy of Lucas Passerini (four), as he, Matias Marin and Alejandro Rebola were the last players to score for them in this competition when they defeated Platense 3-0 on matchday five.
Only two Boca players kept their place in the starting 11 from matchday six to seven in the Primera Division, as Sergio Romero and Marcelo Weigandt played the full 90 minutes in a 1-1 draw versus Lanus and in their defeat at home to River Plate.
Lucas Janson has scored in two of their last three domestic encounters as he, Lucas Blondel and Dario Benedetto each netted in their only league victory away from home in this phase, 3-0 at Central Cordoba.
Edinson Cavani scored for just the second time in all competitions with Boca when he put them in front versus Palmeiras on Thursday, and although he missed his effort in the penalty shootout, Raphael Veiga and Gustavo Gomez also misfired for Palestra, with Guillermo Fernandez converting the winning kick to send Azul y Oro into the Copa Libertadores final.
Belgrano possible starting lineup:
Losada; Barinaga, Rebola, Godoy, Ibacache; Sanchez, Longo, Rolon, Marin; Pastran, Passerini
Boca Juniors possible starting lineup:
Romero; Roncaglia, Valdez, Valentini, Barco; Campuzano; E. Fernandez, Bullaude, Medina, Janson; Benedetto
We say: Belgrano 1-0 Boca Juniors
Coming off such an emotional high just a few days ago, Boca Juniors could be primed for a letdown in this one against a Belgrano side who have shown tremendous discipline defensively throughout this phase of the competition.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Joel Lefevre
