A reunion night for Calleri on his return to Bombonera to face Boca | OneFootball

São Paulo opens the Copa Sudamericana quarterfinal matchups this Tuesday (8) by facing Boca Juniors in Buenos Aires. The match at La Bombonera marks Jonathan Calleri’s reunion with the club he played for between August 2014 and December 2015.

During his spell with the xeneize side, the striker played 51 matches, scored 21 goals, and provided 11 assists — including eight goals in 22 appearances at the legendary Argentine stadium.

The high point of his time at the club came on July 18, 2015, when he scored a backheel chip against Quilmes, under the watchful eyes of Diego Maradona in the stands.

After leaving the Argentine team, Calleri had a brief stint at São Paulo in 2016, spent five seasons in European football (England and Spain), and returned permanently to Tricolor in 2021, where he recently extended his contract.

São Paulo identity and expectations for the reunion

Although he still carries the memory of his time in Argentina, the No. 9 reaffirmed his bond with the Morumbi club and highlighted the family nature of the clash:

“I’m a São Paulo supporter. I’ve lived this story for ten years and I’m very happy here. I renewed for two more years and I hope to stay as long as possible, because this is my home. But it’s a special match for me. I’m going back to La Bombonera after eleven years. It’s going to be a very special match. I think my whole family will be there,” he said.

Tactical view and parallels between the clubs

Also speaking to ESPN, Calleri predicted a balanced battle in midfield, stressing that the fight for the “second ball” will be decisive in controlling the match. The forward also drew parallels between the historical and institutional moment both shirts are experiencing on the continental stage:

Title drought in South America: São Paulo is looking to regain continental supremacy after winning the 2005 Libertadores, while Boca Juniors is in a similar situation, having not lifted the continent’s top trophy since 2007.

Coaching changes and inconsistency: Both teams have gone through recent managerial changes this season and are trying to recover in their domestic leagues — with Boca sitting 8th in Group A of the Argentine league.

Technical quality: Calleri pointed to an even match-up between the squads and emphasized that the 180-minute tie will be decided by tactical details.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.