As what just happened was very good, what is coming is supposed to be much better. Mouth Y Racing paraded through the quarterfinals of the League Cup against teams that usually surprise, that generally complicate their rivals. Now xeneizes and academics will cross paths in the semifinals, in a classic that has always been captivating due to history but even more seductive due to how they reach this tie.
Boca was questioned about the lack of regularity, its inconvenience in imposing conditions. It seemed that he only won because of the hierarchy of his individuality. However, this time he brought Defense and Justice to their knees with a solid, ambitious, dynamic and intense collective operation from the beginning to the end, with midfielders who this time stepped on the opposite area, with several individuals at a high level. It was the most convincing production of the ‘Battaglia era’.
Defense and Justice, which always proposes and causes problems for anyone, did not put Boca in trouble at any time. Sebastián Battaglia opted for a xeneize midfield with Alan Varela as the central midfielder, plus Eduardo Salvio, Pol Fernández and Óscar Romero. And from there everything was handled. Sebastián Villa scored the first, defining a near post forgotten by goalkeeper Ezequiel Unsain. While Juan Ramírez shouted the second after a sweet assistance from Romero.
If Boca’s victory was more than good, the one that Racing had drawn a while before had been much better. Fernando Gago’s team did not walk with turns. He ratified his lofty relevance and annihilated Martín Palermo’s Aldosivi. It was 5-0, but everything was finished at 47 minutes. At that point, the Academy had already made a difference of three goals.
With pure mobility, setting the pace, Racing left no doubt about its superiority against Aldosivi. The people from Mar del Plata had some distractions behind and the academics did not forgive. Twice the youthful Carlos Alcaraz appeared, once with a header and another with a powerful right hand, to get a couple of goals away. Later it was Enzo Copetti who stretched the difference, first from a penalty and then after a ball in the area. And in the end, Javier Correa closed everything with the fifth celebration from a left-footed shot that hit both sticks before getting in.
Boca and Racing technicians celebrated the performances of their teams. “It was the most complete game of my cycle”, remarked Battaglia. “Everything we worked on came out,” said Gago. Those same phrases are sure to be dreamed of by the coaches of the four teams that will star in the remaining two quarterfinal matches today. There will be more action. Now River – Tigre and Estudiantes – Argentinos are coming.
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