Boca Juniors reached the 2026 Copa Sudamericana semi-finals after holding São Paulo to a 1-1 draw at the MorumBIS, taking the tie 2-1 on aggregate from Buenos Aires to Brazil.
Key takeaways
- Boca’s 1-0 first-leg victory at La Bombonera proved decisive in the quarter-final.
- Leandro Lozano scored in the 60th minute to extend the Argentine side’s overall advantage.
- São Paulo had a Ryan Francisco goal ruled out following a VAR offside review involving Luciano.
- Domingos Duarte headed in an 89th-minute equaliser, but the hosts could not find the further goal required.
- Rodolfo Arruabarrena’s side will face Vasco da Gama in the semi-finals.
Boca withstands the MorumBIS pressure
São Paulo’s vast MorumBIS staged an anxious continental evening as Boca arrived protecting a one-goal cushion from the opening match in Argentina. Rather than sink immediately into a low block, the visitors pushed their lines forward early and made São Paulo’s build-up uncomfortable, frequently forcing longer passes.
Leandro Paredes brought composure to Boca’s possession, while Leonel Flores and Alan Velasco offered outlets from the wide areas. Miguel Merentiel had an opportunity after Boca won the ball high up the pitch, though the forward could not turn the move into a clean finish.
The home side initially found little room through Boca’s first wave of pressure. Their clearest first-half moment came in the 37th minute, when Artur supplied a cross for Gustavo Santana. His header drew an important save from Álvaro Montero, with the ball then striking the crossbar before Boca cleared.
The interval arrived without a goal in the second leg, leaving Boca ahead 1-0 across the two matches. São Paulo needed to score simply to restore parity in the contest.
Lozano’s goal changes the tie before a late response
With Dorival Júnior’s team increasing its attacking commitment after the break, spaces began to appear behind the Brazilian side’s advanced lines. Boca used one such opening in the 60th minute, when defender Leandro Lozano joined an attack and put the visitors ahead on the night.
That strike made the aggregate score 2-0 to Boca and left São Paulo needing two goals. The hosts thought they had begun their recovery when Ryan Francisco found the net, only for VAR to disallow the effort because Luciano had been offside in the move.
São Paulo continued to dominate the ball as Boca retreated deeper around Montero’s area, searching for a route through while the Argentine visitors defended their advantage. The breakthrough eventually came in the 89th minute: Domingos Duarte rose in the box and headed São Paulo level in the match.
The equaliser lifted the stadium, but there was too little time left for São Paulo to score again. Boca left the Brazilian capital of football with a 1-1 draw and a 2-1 aggregate success, setting up a Copa Sudamericana semi-final against Vasco da Gama.
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SEO title: Boca Juniors reach Copa Sudamericana semi-finals after São Paulo draw
SEO description: Boca Juniors drew 1-1 with São Paulo at the MorumBIS and progressed 2-1 on aggregate to the 2026 Copa Sudamericana semi-finals, where Vasco da Gama await.
