Boca Juniors let Colo Colo pass through the group stage as the best in Group F, and now the team expects a rival in the round of 16. The Cacique faced real trouble, yet remains alive in the competition.
The decisive clash had far goals in sight, even though the distance between the teams was small and the finish was comfortable. Boca won by the narrowest margin in La Bombonera, led by Chelo Weigandt after a clever finish, securing top spot in Group F and claiming a direct pass to the knockout rounds as Colo Colo sits at the bottom but shows life thanks to Monagas beating Pereira, a fellow Chilean side that would otherwise complicate Chilean hopes.
The Andean giants realize that, despite a tense table, they can still be among the two best teams in their group. “We missed the target. We always tried to press, but they punished us with a great goal on their end,” admitted Esteban Pavez in a moment of reflection.
Colo Colo pressed Sergio Romero but failed to deliver definitive blows, making hard decisions that did not translate into the push needed to secure progression through direct elimination duels. Boca left the field with a win that wasn’t in doubt, partly due to a moment of misfortune for the white side in the decisive moments.
While Almirón breathes after the result, the team endured a flurry of injuries to Langoni, Merentieel and Advíncula, who still managed to hold on until the final whistle. Quinteros, meanwhile, faced the challenge of breaking the curse of the longer unbeaten stretch, hoping his side would advance to the next stage after five years.
96′ END! Boca stands eighth and Colo Colo must beat Pereira to reach the final stage.
89′ Courtesy! Luis Vázquez won a one-on-one against Daniel Gutiérrez but Cortés saved with a smart stop on the rebound from the Uruguayan Romero, who finished in the right place. Boca again threatened through a quick counter.
88′ The injured Advíncula cleared a dangerous moment, blocking Fabián Castillo’s near-equalizer as he slid to defend, and immediately Boca countered with pace to prevent another scoring chance.
77′ ERRA THOMPSON! Jordhy launched himself forward, firing with all the power he had, testing the goalkeeper’s reflexes.
61′ 39′; Figal intercepted a pass between Damián Pizarro and Chiquito Romero to prevent a tie from forming on the scoreboard.
55′ GOAL! A killer volley from the right by Xeneize after a precise sequence: Advíncula threaded a deep pass to Romero, who laid it across for Weigandt to finish cleanly at the near post for 1-0.
45+5′ End of the first half! A tight scoreline in La Bombonera.
45+4′ Saldivia made a crucial save on the line after Benedetto’s layoff, with Romero finishing just in time to keep Boca ahead. It was the clearest moment for Boca in the half.
44′ A well-timed block denied Óscar Romero after a dangerous run by Boca’s attack; the Chilean goalkeeper was briefly off balance but recovered quickly.
43′ A courteous move from Cristian Medina earned him a clear opportunity, but his precise finish came under pressure from Advíncula.
30′ 39′ The Argentines requested a red card for Chiqui Bouzat after a tense challenge surrounding a dangerous play.
29′ ALAN VARELA! The midfielder’s cross-shot unsettled Brayan Cortés, who watched the ball sail past for Boca’s confidence boost.
15′ 39′ Almirón left the field after an injury, Langoni exiting in tears. It was his third match since a right hamstring injury.—
11′ BALLS! A stunning one-on-one sequence with the Cacique pressing aggressively, nearly opening the score for Romero.
8′ 39′ Quinteros had to replace Bruno Gutiérrez due to an injury. Jeyson Rojas came on as his substitute preparation for a possible shift in tempo.
⏰ 8′ | Boca Jrs 0-0 Colo-Colo
Substitution for Colo-Colo: Jeyson Rojas replaces Bruno Gutiérrez.
– Colo Colo (June 7, 2023)
3′ STICK! Luis Advíncula struck the post early, a near-miss that preserved the deadlock as Cortés and the woodwork denied the Peruvian’s first strike of the match.
The dawn pre-competition is OK…
mouth comes out rosemary; Weigandt, Figal, Valdez, Fabra; Fernandez, Varela, Medina; Advincula, Benedetto and Langoni.
Great environment in La Boca!
Cacique lineup, confirmed.
These were the concentrates:
The coming of the whites!
This is how the popular wardrobe looks like:
Anderson Daronco referees at La Bombonera!
[#Libertadores] Boca Juniors vs Colo Colo To: Anderson Daronco A1: Danilo Simon A2: Bruno Boschilia 4th: Savio Sampaio VAR: Wagner Reway AVAR: Pablo Goncalves
– ArbitroInternacional (@ArbitroInteBlog) June 2, 2023
Source: Goal