1-1: Boca will play in the Copa Libertadores final

Everything seemed to fall apart in the game, when Marcos Rojo sent himself off with half an hour left in the game and Palmeiras tied up It also seemed to slip away from him at the start of the penalty shootout, when at the first shot Weverton (signaling as he had failed to save any of the last 24 thrown at him) stopped Weverton’s right hand. none other than Edinson Cavani… Without However, again and again Mouth resisted by the hands of Sergio Romero and made the jump to his 12th last of Liberators. Now he needs just one game to win the 7th, the Cup he hasn’t won since 2007 and is obsessed with him.

Chiquito Romero drew an epic individual production. In Boca’s win, he made three great saves; and with Boca tying it up, two more impressive ones, especially a sensational overhead kick from Rony. And in the penalties, after Cavani’s miss, the Xeneize goalkeeper stopped the first two Brazilian shots, from Raphael Veiga and Gustavo Gómez. So, after a 0-0 draw at Bombonera and 1-1 at Allianz Parque, Boca screamed so loudly in that dramatic series that they sealed 4-2. On November 4, at Maracaná, the single-match final with the powerful Fluminense.

Boca had a solid and strong first half. He went into the break with a goal from Edinson Cavani, who put him through after great play from Miguel Merentiel flying down the right and assisting with great clarity.

However, with the introduction of their precocious 17-year-old talents, Palmeiras completely took over the second half. Starting from that last part came Endrick, the signing of Real Madrid for 70 million euros. And in the last 15 Luis Guilherme did it.

Marcos Rojo was sent off again, in this case with an unnecessary double yellow. There are still 25 minutes, but Boca are showing signs of covering up. Then, one of their best men, a forward, Merentiel, left to add a defender, Bruno Valdez, and set up a line of five at the back. Moments after the red card from the experienced centre-back, with Jorge Almirón without the youngster Valenín Barco to field another defender (Nicolás Valentini), Joaquín Piquerez appeared and nailed the tie with a left-footed shot from outside.

The second half was a nightmare for Boca, but they knew how to fight Romero and unleashed a roar that spread throughout Argentina and various corners of the blue and yellow world. And on balance, in a way it deserves it, because four times in the semifinals, it is slightly better than three. Beyond the misery of those 45 finals, the xeneizes have arguments.

Boca reached the final, qualifying via penalties in the round of 16 (Nacional), quarter-finals (Racing) and semi-finals (Palmeiras). It was the first time in the Libertadores that a team went through all the qualifiers head to head, accumulating only draws. Now, against Fluminense and the Maracaná, he will go for the seventh with peace of mind: he has someone to defend him in goal.

DATA SHEET

1 – Palmeiras: Weverton; Marcos Rocha (m.46, Kevin), Gustavo Gómez, Murilo, Joaquín Piquerez; Zé Rafael (m.78, Fabinho), Gabriel Menino (m.68, ‘Flaco’ López), Raphael Veiga; Artur (m.46, Endrick), Mayke (m.78, Luís Guilherme) and Rony
Coach: Abel Ferreira
1 – Boca Juniors: Sergio Romero; Luis Advíncula, Nicolás Figal, Marcos Rojo, Frank Fabra (m.82, Marcelo Saracchi); Ezequiel Fernández, Cristian Medina, Pol Fernández, Barco (m.68, Valentini); Edinson Cavani and Miguel Merentiel (m.55, Bruno Valdez)
Instructor: Jorge Almirón.
The objectives: 0-1, Cavani (m. 23) 1-1, Piquerez (m. 73)
Penalty shootouts: 0-0: Cavani, for Weverton. 0-0: Veiga, for Romero. 0-1: Valdez, goal. 0-1: Gómez, for Romero. 0-2: Valentini, goal. 1-2: Kevin, goal. 1-3: Figal, goal. 2-3: Piquerez, goal. 2-4: Pol Fernández, goal
Referee: Uruguayan Andrés Matonte sends off Rojo for double yellow (m.66) and advises Rony, Gómez, Veiga, Fabra, Ezequiel Fernández, Endrick, Medina, Romero
Incidents: second leg of the 2023 Copa Libertadores semi-finals played at Allianz Parque, in the Brazilian city of São Paulo