THE CLIMB OF BOCA JUNIORS
It began with a spark from the Mouth by Sebastian Battaglia. After a strong finish in the group phase of the Professional League Cup and a victory in Bolivia against Always Ready that set their Libertadores campaign on track, Boca Juniors faced their first major test of the year and surpassed it with authority. In the quarterfinals of the local tournament they defeated In Defense and Justice, delivering what stood as their best performance of 2022 and advancing to the semi finals with convincing momentum.
Full schedule: when does Boca play next?
Now in the semi finals, Boca will face a tough obstacle against Racing, the team that topped the first stage and finished in the top four after a dominant win over Aldosivi. The fixture was confirmed for Saturday, May 14 at 5 p.m. at the Lanús Stadium.
THE BOCA LINEUP
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The victory over Halcón at La Bombonera ensured Battaglia did not have concerns about injuries or suspensions, so for the clash with Racing he could field essentially the same group and also welcomed back Carlos Izquierdoz. He had been left out of the previous match as a precaution, but recovery was progressing well, and Marcelo Weigandt returned after a sprained ankle. In total, the coach named a squad of 25 players who trained in preparation for the semi final.
List of concentrates for Racing on Saturday for the semi-finals of the Copa de La Liga in Lance. Come on mouth pic.twitter.com/XgTrPtyUbg
– Boca Juniors (@BocaJrsOficial) May 12, 2022
BOCA JUNIORS TRAINING
@bocajrsoficial
Following the solid team performance against Defensa, Battaglia plans a shift in approach for the match with Racing. With Izquierdoz back in shape, there is a chance he could reclaim his starting spot in place of Zambrano, though training sessions on Thursday and Friday suggested the Peruvian defender remained trusted after a strong showing against Beccacece’s side.
In midfield, Battaglia rotated the options, returning Juan Ramírez to a starting role after a bright start against Halcón, which included a goal. Eduardo Salvio was kept on the bench as Oscar Romero shifted to the right, maintaining a balanced setup across the middle and attack.
The confirmed eleven for Saturday: Augustin Rossi; Luis Advincula, Carlos Zambrano, Marcos Rojo, Frank Fabra; Pol Fernandez, Alan Varela, Juan Ramirez; Oscar Romero, Sebastian Villa and Dario Benedetto.
THE BOCA SUBSTITUTES
To be determined.
Source: Goal