31/07/2026 04:40 - Deportes
The legendary Argentine club showed immense courage to advance past a resilient O'Higgins side in Chile.
On July 30, 2026, Boca Juniors visited O'Higgins at the Estadio El Teniente in Rancagua, Chile, for the second leg of the Copa Sudamericana playoffs. For context for international readers, Boca Juniors (often called 'Xeneize' due to their Genoese immigrant founders) is one of the most popular and successful football clubs in Argentina, while the Copa Sudamericana is South America's equivalent to the UEFA Europa League.
Boca arrived in Chile with a slight advantage after winning the first leg 1-0 at their iconic stadium, 'La Bombonera', thanks to a goal by Miguel Merentiel. However, the home side, managed by Lucas Bovaglio, came out aggressively and created several dangerous chances. O'Higgins managed to open the scoring when Boca defender Nicolás Figal headed a clearance straight into the middle of the pitch, leaving the ball perfectly set for Francisco González to strike a powerful volley past goalkeeper Álvaro Montero.
Despite Boca's efforts to find an equalizer, including a shot from Leonel Flores that hit the crossbar, the match ended 1-0 in regulation, leveling the aggregate score at 1-1 and forcing a dramatic penalty shootout to decide who would advance to the Round of 16.
The shootout was a rollercoaster of emotions. For O'Higgins, Francisco González, Arnaldo Castillo, and Miguel Brizuela successfully converted their penalties. However, Thiago Vecino skied his shot over the crossbar, and Luis Pavez saw his attempt saved by the hero of the night, Boca's goalkeeper Álvaro Montero.
On Boca's side, Leandro Paredes, Miguel Merentiel, and Nicolás Figal all scored their spot-kicks. The moment of highest tension came when Tomás Aranda stepped up. He attempted a 'Panenka' (a cheeky chip down the middle), but O'Higgins goalkeeper Omar Carabalí read it perfectly, made a comfortable save, and celebrated fiercely in Aranda's face. Despite this setback, Lautaro Blanco took responsibility for the final penalty. Undeterred by the Chilean goalkeeper's attempts to intimidate him, Blanco fired a powerful shot into the net to seal a 4-3 victory and secure Boca's progression.
With this hard-fought qualification, Boca Juniors will now face Deportivo Recoleta from Paraguay in the Round of 16. Manager Rodolfo Arruabarrena will aim to correct the defensive errors that recently led to a 3-0 defeat against Riestra in the local Torneo Clausura, as he looks to boost the team's performance for the upcoming international challenge.
Match refereed by Wilmar Roldán (Colombia). Sources consulted: TyC Sports, El Dia and ESPN.
Alfredo S. Quiroga
