Boca visits Newell’s this Saturday, from 5 p.m. within the framework of the 13th date of the Professional Football League Cup. It is a key match for the aspirations of both clubs, since Leprosy is two points above Xeneize. It will be televised on TNT Sports.
Without Edinson Cavani or Chiquito Romero, Diego Martínez’s team took the field with Miguel Merentiel in attack and youth Leandro Brey in goal. In the Rosario team, the most notable thing is the return of Ever Banega after serving two dates due to suspension.
Xeneize began the match two points behind Ñuls in the standings, although they still have a pending match against Estudiantes to play, a situation that raises different scenarios in the event that the game ends in a draw or victory for either of the two. sides.
The duel at the Marcelo Bielsa stadium began with that tone, two teams measuring each other and without risking too much, knowing that equality serves and defeat can condemn. Some touches from Banega at home and the connection between Kevin Zenón and Lautaro Blanco, on the visiting side, the only moments in which the game seems to give something more, compared to so much expectation generated in the previous one.
In that context, Boca seemed to be a little more, and a play on the left ended up opening the game. Luca Langoni found himself inside the area and took a crossed left foot shot that goalkeeper Ramiro Macagno took out with a swipe but appeared on the rebound. Christian Medinawho headed into the net.
That was in the 28th minute, a little while later Xeneize warned again. Merentiel handled an attack well and left Langoni alone, who finished in a hurry due to Macagno’s bailing and the ball ended up in the corner kick. Later, Zenón was the one who had a run through the center and tried his left foot, in a shot that went close.
The La Ribera team seemed more dangerous than Lepra, although with some imprecision in the final meters to stretch the advantage. Ñuls, however, with more drive than lucidity, cornered their rival at the end of the first half: a header from Gustavo Velázquez almost made it 1-1 just before going to the locker room at halftime.
The second half began with Newell’s determined to seek equality from the start: a few seconds later, a cross shot from the recently introduced Giovani Chivareano (replacing Esteban Fernández) almost surprised Brey, who gave a dangerous rebound to the middle that was left in nothing thanks to the clearance of Cristian Lema, very attentive.
The other change for Uruguayan coach Larriera was the departure of Misael Jaime for Jerónimo Cacciabue, two substitutions that changed the appearance of the midfield, more focused on attack and with Banega released in search of options for the scorer Juan Ramírez.
However, it was Boca that took advantage of the counterattack. A good combination between Merentiel, Zenón and Medina left them facing the goal, Macagno was able to resist but Langoni took the rebound and finished without getting nervous to score the partial 2-0.
In the next, Newell’s almost got the discount on a cross ball that surprised the Xeneize defense but Julián Fernández’s shot went wide when Brey seemed defeated.