Buenos Aires has offered Boca Juniors another night of conviction, the kind that turns a cup tie into a statement for the months ahead. Rodolfo Arruabarrena’s side recovered from two goals down to defeat Racing and reach the Copa Argentina semi-finals, extending a surge that had already included an emphatic away win over San Lorenzo in domestic competition.
The 3-2 comeback carried Boca from anxiety to celebration, with Leandro Paredes setting the tone afterwards by insisting that the squad intends to compete for every available trophy. “We want to challenge for all the competitions and win everything,” he said, a line that now fits a team with several routes still open.
Racing’s set-piece lead disappears
Racing had arrived looking for a result capable of lifting a difficult footballing period, and Juan Pablo Vojvoda’s approach initially gave them exactly that chance. Paredes was closely contained, Boca’s full-backs were restricted and Racing made the contest physical and uncomfortable.
Gastón Lodico put Racing ahead before the interval with a direct corner that caught Leandro Brey by surprise. Two minutes after the restart, another corner created the second: Adrián “Maravilla” Martínez reacted in the area and struck an improvised volley to make it 2-0.
Yet the contest changed with the benches. Racing’s limited alternatives became increasingly apparent, while Boca could call upon Ecuador’s Enner Valencia, Colombia’s Sebastián Villa and Chile’s Carlos Palacios. Their arrival altered the energy and the balance of the match.
Valencia completed a headed hat-trick, beginning from Lautaro Blanco’s corner, continuing with Villa’s delivery and ending with Palacios providing the final ball. His third header arrived in the 95th minute, completing a dramatic reversal and leaving Racing to reflect on an opportunity that had seemed firmly within reach.
A crowded route through the season
Boca will now meet Banfield, the more modest opponent left in the Copa Argentina semi-finals, and the Buenos Aires club has become the leading contender for that trophy. There is also a Copa Sudamericana semi-final against Vasco da Gama, giving the campaign a distinctly continental horizon.
At home, Boca remain in the Clausura play-off places and sit third in the annual championship, four points behind leaders Independiente Rivadavia. After a week in which San Lorenzo were swept aside and Racing were overturned from 0-2, Paredes’ ambition no longer sounds like mere celebration. It sounds like Boca have found room to believe in a season of several prizes.
