Libertadores 2022: Boca Juniors in Group E and the road to the knockout rounds

The 0-2 defeat against Corinthians in Brazil disrupted Boca Juniors’ plans as they navigated the Libertadores group stage. With a still sizeable stretch of group play ahead, the chances of turning the tide depended on consistent results in the remaining matches. Sebastián Battaglia’s side could face elimination if they failed to translate performance into points in the next games.

Everything about Boca’s group stage in Libertadores 2022

Boca opened this edition with a 0-2 loss to Deportivo Cali in Colombia. On the second matchday the team found life again, crafting a 2-0 victory over Always Ready at La Bombonera to breathe easier. In San Pablo the challenge grew tougher as they fell to Corinthians, leaving the team with three points and last place in the group with three games played.

With dates still ahead, Battaglia’s squad prepared for a trip to La Paz to meet Always Ready in Date 4. The final two fixtures would come at home, first against Corinthians on May 17 and then against Cali nine days later, shaping the fate of their campaign.

What outcome would secure Boca’s place in the round of 16 without relying on other results? Ideally, the team would win all remaining fixtures, reaching 12 points. That would not only secure a spot in the knockout phase, but also potentially crown them as the group leaders depending on other results and goal difference.

The Xeneize group in Libertadores: outcomes and implications

If Boca managed seven more points through two wins and a draw, they would reach ten points and still need to monitor the ever-changing landscape of the other group matches. A draw between Always Ready and Cali would keep the group open and put Boca in a position to control their own destiny, though their current goal difference remained a concern. At that moment Boca carried a goal difference of minus two.

Conversely, a loss to Always Ready would complicate matters further, though victories in the remaining two games could still yield nine points. In that scenario Boca would depend heavily on the results involving Corinthians, Cali and Always Ready to determine qualification chances.

GROUP E MATCHES AND FOOTBALLING FACTS

Source: Goal