What Boca need to top Zone A in the Apertura

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La Número 12

·1. Mai 2026

What Boca need to top Zone A in the Apertura

Boca visit Central Córdoba in Santiago del Estero in the final match of the regular season of the 2026 Torneo Apertura. With a playoff spot already secured, the Xeneize aim to snatch the top spot from Estudiantes and face the last-qualified team from Zone B in the round of 16. Here’s a look at all the possible scenarios.

The regular season of the 2026 Torneo Apertura is coming to an end, and Zone A is wide open. While Boca have already guaranteed their place in the knockout stage, finishing top of their group would give them a key sporting advantage heading into the round of 16, where they would face the team that sneaks into the playoffs as the No. 8 seed from Zone B.

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Before this postponed final round is played, the standings show Estudiantes de La Plata at the top with 28 points, followed very closely by Boca with 27 points. Right behind the team from La Ribera, level on points but with a worse goal difference, are Vélez Sarsfield (27) in third place.

The good news for Claudio Úbeda’s side is that they hold a comfortable advantage in goal difference (+12 compared to Estudiantes’ +10 and Vélez’s +6), a factor that could prove decisive if teams finish level on points.

Boca close out the Apertura regular season.

The team will take the field at the Madre de Ciudades this Saturday at 4:15 p.m. against Central Córdoba knowing they will kick off the battle at the top. All the pressure will then shift to the La Plata side, who will play later with Boca’s result already known, specifically at 9:15 p.m. away to Platense in Vicente López. For the Xeneize to finish the regular season looking down on everyone else in Zone A, the calculators point to the following scenarios.

If Boca beat Central Córdoba

This is the most direct path to putting maximum pressure on the leaders. If the Xeneize take all three points in Santiago del Estero, they will reach 30 points. In that case, they need Estudiantes to fail to beat Platense.

If Estudiantes draw, they will move to 29 points and Boca will finish first.
If Estudiantes lose, they will stay on 28 points and Boca will finish first. (If Boca win, they also become virtually unreachable for Vélez, who can also get to 30 points at most, but Boca’s goal difference gives the Xeneize a huge edge).

If Boca draw against Central Córdoba

The picture becomes more complicated, but mathematically they would still have a chance. With a draw, Boca would move to 28 points, level with Estudiantes’ current total. Thanks to their +12 goal difference, Boca would win any tiebreak on that front, but to finish first they would need a combination of two outside results:

Estudiantes must lose to Platense (so the Pincha stay on 28 and Boca move ahead on goal difference).
Vélez must fail to beat Newell’s on Monday (if Vélez win, they go up to 30 and overtake everyone).

If Boca lose to Central Córdoba

In the event of a defeat, the team would remain stuck on their current 27 points. In that scenario, there is no mathematical chance of finishing in first place, since Estudiantes already have 28. A loss could even cause Boca to drop to third if Vélez earn at least a point against Newell’s.

Úbeda has finalized Boca’s squad list and starting lineup. Photo: CABJ Press.

The schedule for the final round

Saturday 4:15 p.m.: Central Córdoba vs. Boca
Saturday 9:15 p.m.: Platense vs. Estudiantes
Monday 7:15 p.m.: Vélez vs. Newell’s

The team from La Ribera must take care of business early in Santiago and then, later that night, sit in front of the TV hoping for a helping hand from Vicente López to end the regular season at the top.

The Torneo Apertura enters its decisive stage.

How tiebreakers work in the league

Unlike what happens in the Copa Libertadores, in the domestic league, if two or more teams finish the group stage level on points and also on goal difference, the following tiebreaking criteria are applied strictly in this order:

Most goals scored: The team that has scored more goals over the 16 regular-season matches will prevail.
Head-to-head results: If the tie still remains, it will be decided based on the result of the match played between the teams involved in the group.
Overall Fair Play table: If they are still level, the tie will be broken according to position in the Fair Play table, which evaluates the number of yellow and red cards received.
Draw: As a last resort, if the teams are still completely level and none of the sporting or disciplinary criteria separate them, the Liga Profesional Executive Committee will conduct a draw to determine the positions.