Boca's player ratings from the win over Central Córdoba at La Bombonera

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La Número 12

·12 September 2026

Boca's player ratings from the win over Central Córdoba at La Bombonera

Boca picked up three important points by beating Central Córdoba of Santiago del Estero 3-1 at La Bombonera, in a match corresponding to the ninth round of the 2026 Clausura Tournament. The team coached by Roldolfo Arruabarrena won thanks to a brace from Ángel Romero and Enner Valencia’s first goal in this shirt.

The Xeneize started strong and faded. They were overwhelming in the opening half hour, found plenty of space and knew how to exploit it, but lacked sharpness in front of goal. They created enough chances to have gone into halftime with much more than just a 2-0 lead. In the second half, they dropped the tempo, lost attacking weight with the substitutions, and ended up suffering more than they should have, although there were several standout individual performances.

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Leandro Brey (6)

He had a difficult start, as he had to react quickly to a risky pass from Valencia. He collided very hard with the visiting forward, but was able to stay on the pitch. Nothing he could do on Cutiño’s goal, as he was left all alone between Pellegrino and Figal.

Dylan Gorosito (7)

He pushed up high several times and got caught out, leaving the impression that he is not as solid defensively as he is going forward. His second assist in a row came thanks to exploiting the space on the right. He got all the way to the byline and sent in a cross to the far post for Enner Valencia to score his first goal in a Boca shirt.

Nicolás Figal (6)

Mixed good and bad moments. Strong in winning the ball back, a bit shaky when bringing it forward. He gave the ball away once in a way that could have cost the Xeneize dearly.

Marco Pellegrino (6)

Much firmer in defense than his partner at the back; at times he looked like a wall. He was bold enough to play out cleanly and position himself like a holding midfielder. He won several duels both in defense and in midfield. The only sour note: a very hard foul near Brey’s goal. He was fortunate to avoid a red card.

Lautaro Blanco (6)

Another great assist from Boca’s tireless left back. He had no trouble defensively and answered every time he was tested, was key in every attacking move, and vital in opening the scoring. It’s true that maybe he didn’t get forward too often, but he showed good judgment when he did.

Williams Alarcón (7)

Very tidy on the ball, smart with his passing, and an extra helping hand in every defensive action. While it’s true that Central Córdoba left a lot of space, the Chilean knew how to take advantage of it and looked more involved than in previous matches. An interesting option if he keeps up this level.

Tomás Belmonte (7)

Picked up a yellow card for a hard foul in midfield. In Paredes mode, he spread his legs to let the ball run through and assist Romero without touching it. He puts in a lot of work both in marking and joining the attack. His good form is clear.

Carlos Palacios (7)

Always looked to stay in contact with the ball, although he is still lacking rhythm. Quick to pass it and instantly find space again to receive. The finishing touch: the assist for Romero to make it 3-0.

Sebastián Villa (6)

He started strong and faded. Important in the first half, key in Boca’s opener although without much prominence. He missed an open goal with no goalkeeper when the score was 2-0.

Ángel Romero (10)

A dream night for Angelito at La Bombonera. He arrived unmarked from behind and simply tapped it into the back of the net to open the scoring. He then played a great diagonal pass for Valencia’s run, although he couldn’t finish, and later smashed home a stunning long-range goal to make it 3-0. A rocket into the top corner from more than 30 meters out, impossible for Alan Aguerre.

Ángel Romero scored against Central Córdoba. Photo: Gerónimo Marino/La Número 12.

Enner Valencia (7)

He scored his first goal in a Boca shirt. He arrived behind the first center back and buried it in the net. He played Brey into trouble early in the match, and the goalkeeper came off worse in the play. He had more than one chance to score the Xeneize’s third and his second personal goal, but lacked precision.

Matías Satas (5)

A solid match from the youngster, who is beginning to get minutes in the first team. At times he needed Pellegrino’s help to avoid being overloaded, and it is clear that left back is not his natural position.

Santiago Ascacibar (5)

He brought some fresh legs to a midfield that had run out of steam, but not much more. He couldn’t take charge of the creative side, and the Xeneize were without Palacios, who had been the team’s playmaker. The effort is always there.

Milton Giménez (4)

If he already looked slow when fully fit, after injury and without minutes it was even more noticeable. He used his strength to win a duel, drove toward goal, cut inside, and was blocked when he tried to get his shot away.

Rodrigo Bacidalupe (5)

First-team debut for Boca’s reserve team top scorer. He is the 52nd youth player to make his debut during Riquelme’s tenure. He wasn’t looked for much and struggled to get into the game with a Xeneize side that couldn’t keep hold of the ball.

Rodolfo Arruabarrena (9)

Not many trusted the starting eleven beforehand, since it included several names who had not impressed in the few opportunities they had been given. El Vasco trusted them, and Boca ran like clockwork in the first half hour of the match. They deserved to go into halftime with a much bigger lead, but lost their way in the second half.

Boca’s coach trusted the players with the fewest minutes, and several of them delivered. Photo: Gerónimo Marino/ La Número 12.

It made sense: players lacking match rhythm quickly showed signs of fatigue, and the lack of replacements able to fulfill the same role as those coming off ended up causing too many changes to the team’s overall functioning. Excellent work from the coach against an opponent that looked beaten from the start.