Boca Juniors could not beat Atlético Mineiro in the Bombonera, where they drew goalless in the first leg of the Copa Libertadores round of 16, and now the passage to the quarterfinals will be settled next Tuesday in Belo Horizonte.
The match was characterized by its flatness from end to end, and only the flashes of quality from the current captain of the Brazilian team, Ignacio Fernández, who due to his status as a former player of the Plata played a special game on the Boca court, sporadically lit up the night.
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Because in the initial stretch of the first half, the visitors were the ones who had the initiative, handling the ball neatly and agilely in the middle and manifested danger every time in three quarters of the court “Nacho” Fernández met the marvelous Hulk.
The former Racing Club Matías Zaracho was the one who marked the balance in the midfield of those from Belo Horizonte, who lacked the final stitch to capture that initial superiority in the local goal.
But as the minutes went by, the prodigality of this renewed Boca, which lost its hierarchy but gained in enthusiasm with the return of Marcelo Weingandt and the presentations of the ex-Huracán, Norberto Briasco and Esteban Rolón (he replaced the promising Alan Varela), was pairing the development.
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And in fact, after half an hour, that parity in the actions was translated into a risky action that ended in a goal from Boca converted with a head by the reappeared midfielder Diego González after an aerial rebound in the Brazilian small area.
But the visiting players shouted to the sky before the Colombian referee Andrés Rojas led by their captain Fernández, seconded by his compatriot Zaracho (he was cautioned), and finally they convinced him to resort to VAR, which ended up giving them the right and canceling the conquest.
From there, during the handful of minutes that remained to end the first half and throughout the second, Boca was more active than his rival in pursuit of a goal that would allow him to travel with better prospects to Brazil the week that comes.
In fact, goalkeeper Éverson immediately deflected a popcorn to González himself after the goal was canceled by Sebastián Villa, and already in the second stage, when Cristian Pavón’s actions grew, Boca was more incisive and showed that Mineiro is a team vulnerable when attacked, especially from the sides.
What the team led by Miguel Russo did suffer from, who found defensive solvency with Marcos Rojo forming a central duo with Carlos Izquierdoz, something that also happened when Lisandro López was a starter in the position of former Manchester United, it was from that quota of play that He is usually awarded by the absent Edwin Cardona, who would be arriving on Thursday from Colombia although he will not play the rematch either.
For all that was that the final zero on both sides did not taste bad to either of them, since although those led by Cuca celebrated the point they took as visitors, the “xeneizes” stayed with what they had done in the long run. 90 minutes after the prolonged inactivity for the Copa América, against a rival who is in full competition in the Brasileirao.
Boca’s next step will take place in 72 hours, next Friday against the Union for the Professional League that will be celebrating its first date, but obviously thinking about the peremptory rematch on Tuesday in Belo Horizonte, where the fundamental part of the latter will be played. semester of the year.
Synthesis
Boca: Agustín Rossi; Marcelo Weigandt, Carlos Izquierdoz, Marcos Rojo and Agustín Sandez; Diego González, Esteban Rolón and Cristian Medina; Cristian Pavón, Norberto Briasco and Sebastián Villa. DT: Miguel Ángel Russo.
Atlético Mineiro: Everson; Mariano, Réver, Nathan Silva and Junior Alonso; Tchê Tchê, Allan, Matías Zaracho and Ignacio Fernández; Jefferson Savarino and the Hulk. DT: Alexi Stival “Cuca”.
Changes in the second half: 23m. Eduardo Vargas for Zaracho (AM), Jair for Allan (AM) and Dylan Borrero for Savarino (AM); 26m. Nicolás Orsini for Medina (BJ) and Alan Varela for González (BJ); 31m. Dodô by Rever (AM) and 45m. Calebe by Ignacio Fernandez (AM).
Admonished: Red and Pavón (BJ). Zaracho, Allan, Vargas and Hulk (AM).
Basketball court: Boca Juniors.
Referee: Andrés Rojas (Colombia).
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