Boca Juniors became the first finalist in the Professional Football League Cup, beating Racing 6-5 in definition with kicks from the penalty spot after drawing 0-0 in 90 minutes on the Lanús pitch .
The rival of the Ribera team in the final of the tournament will come out tomorrow from the clash between Argentinos Juniors and Tigre.
Racing was far superior to Boca and had several opportunities that their players could not convert into a goal.
In the definition by penalties for Boca, Rojo, Izquierdoz, “Pol” Fernández, Benedetto, Villa and Alan Varela converted; Racing’s goalkeeper, “Chila” Gómez, saved Salvio’s shot.
For the “Academy” they scored Piovi, Cardona, Chancalay, Alcaraz and Correa; Insúa threw it wide and Rossi stopped Copetti’s shot.
In the first part, Racing went out to play with all the lights on and found a “sleepy” Boca.
Racing’s pressure was high to the point that in the first minutes Copetti starred in “a few comedy steps” with Rossi, hitting him every time the goalkeeper wanted to go out with a long serve, so that he had to stay inside the area.
The “Academy” showed its great moment and Sebastián Battaglia’s team once again embodied that bland team without ideas for which the coach was questioned and observed by the leaders.
The first 45 minutes were all Racing, with Matías Rojas standing comfortably behind “Pol” Fernández and Varela. Until he left due to a blow and Correa entered, the Paraguayan midfielder was, along with Alcaraz, the conductors of an “orchestra” that only went out of tune when it came to defining on the net.
Chancalay had the goal three times: on one occasion only against Rossi he kicked wide, another with a shot that hit the goalkeeper’s right post and another that grazed the net. Alcaraz also had it twice without markings against the Boca goalkeeper.
His adversary did not step back, he had no presence in the middle and up top Benedetto was lost and Villa out of tune and off.
At times the match became frictionless and fought, with a lot of “action” from the players, and the first half ended with five warnings.
In the second half Correa positioned himself well as a center forward and Copetti went on the side defended by Fabra, while in Boca “Pol” Fernández he dropped a few meters so that his team had a good start in controlling the ball.
After a start with greater commitment from Boca, Fernando Gago’s team was channeling the match and that could be seen at 18m, when Piovi put a remarkable center to the edge of the small area and Alcaraz headed very badly, missing the first.
“Lolo” Miranda was in charge of fulfilling the role of organizer of the Racing movements before the departure of Rojas. And so the second half repeated the script of the first, with a Racing that was a clear dominator and that generated the best chances.
Boca, although it recovered some spirit, continued to be inferior and fell in love with the possibility of reaching penalties.
In that instance, Rossi was once again a figure by saving Copetti’s penalty, one of Racing’s best players; and later Insúa completed the academic disgrace. Varela did not fail and Boca celebrated the move to a new final in Argentine football.
Villa was a starter despite the new complaint of gender violence
Boca Juniors striker Sebastián Villa, who on Friday was denounced again for gender-based violence and a new legal case was initiated, played as a starter in today’s penalty shootout win against Racing Club and was the center of attention of all those who attended the meeting at the Lanús stadium.
His performance was not good but he was right with his shot in the penalty shootout. In several passages of the meeting, the Racing fans dedicated songs to him related to the new complaint against him for sexual abuse and attempted murder.
The whistles and the reproaches of the academic sympathizers began from the moment the Colombian striker went out to make the pre-competitive movements.
Villa, 25, tried to keep his face serious and concentrated even before the TV cameras.
Yesterday at noon, Villa was reported to the Court of Lomas de Zamora for sexual abuse and attempted murder.
He also has an oral trial pending in another case of gender-based violence against his compatriot Daniela Cortés from April 2020.
Despite the episode, for which Boca made himself “at the disposal of the complainant and of Justice”, the DT, Sebastián Battaglia, kept Villa in concentration and this afternoon included him in the starting team to face Racing for the LPF Cup.
The Colombian striker arrived at the Ribera club in July 2018 and has a contract until June 30, 2024.
