Boca’s player ratings in Libertadores exit to Católica | OneFootball

Boca had to win to stay alive in the Copa Libertadores, but fell by the narrowest of margins to Universidad Católica at La Bombonera on the final matchday of Group D. They finished third, behind the Chilean side and Cruzeiro, so they will have to play in the Copa Sudamericana playoffs.

From the very first minute, the Xeneize went in search of the win, but poor finishing was evident, while Los Cruzados scored a stunner with their first chance to put the game away. From then on, the club from La Ribera could not find a way back into the match. They sent in several crosses with no connection, and La Franja took care of defending everything that came into the box. The ratings from Boca’s Copa Libertadores elimination.

Leandro Brey (5)

He practically had no action throughout the match. He was not at fault for Clemente Montes’ superb goal, drilled in off the right post from outside the box. In the second half, he came out to claim a few crosses.

Malcom Braida (4)

He saw little of the ball. He did not dare to push forward in attack and was always caught in between. In the second half, with the whole team thrown forward, he delivered a few inaccurate crosses.

Lautaro Di Lollo (5)

One of Boca’s better players. Although he could not make the difference in aerial duels, he showed his warrior mentality by fighting for every ball. On Católica’s goal, he was up in attack for a free kick in Boca’s favor and was left out of position at the back.

Marco Pellegrino (5)

Alongside Di Lollo, he was solid in defense, especially in the second half, to keep the scoreline close. He had a half-turn shot that went just wide of the left post. Like his center-back partner, he was up in attack when Los Cruzados scored. He was replaced by Ángel Romero and clearly did not like it at all.

Lautaro Blanco (5)

From the first minute, he played almost like a midfielder with attacking intent. He pushed forward constantly and sent in countless crosses, very few of which found the head of a Xeneize player. Defensively, he had no major problems.

Ander Herrera (3)

A poor match from the Spaniard. He never looked comfortable on the pitch. He was the last man on Universidad Católica’s goal, where Clemente Montes used his body well to get past him and make it 1-0. He could not make the difference with his quality and was substituted at halftime.

Leandro Paredes (4)

He improved as the game went on, but it was not enough. One of his worst matches since arriving at Boca. During the first 45 minutes, he was very sloppy with his passing and could not even make the most of set pieces. He played the entire match with discomfort in his hamstring.

Milton Delgado (3)

A poor outing from the young midfielder. He had a very low-level first half in which he never managed to link up with Paredes as he had in previous matches, though he improved in the second half. It was not enough.

Tomás Aranda (6)

Boca’s best player. With Paredes struggling physically, he became the team’s playmaker. Lively across the entire front line, he constantly looked for the forwards and the full-backs to give width to the attack.

Exequiel Zeballos (5)

He made the most of his pace and ability to take players on. First on the left, then on the right. He won several one-on-one duels, but for the most part made the wrong decision at the end. He had a half-turn shot that went close to the left post and, in the second half, after a stepover, tried a shot that brushed the outside of the net.

Milton Giménez (1)

Boca’s worst player on the pitch. He looked uncomfortable. He struggled to control the ball every time he received a pass and looked lost when it came to positioning himself in the box. The only notable thing was an overhead kick that went over the bar.

Alan Velasco (2)

He came on at halftime for Ander Herrera, and the responsibility of being the team’s playmaker weighed heavily on him. He was never able to show his quality. At times, it seemed like the ball was burning his feet, and La Bombonera made that clear with murmurs after every turnover.

Ángel Romero (4)

He came on for Pellegrino and became another target in the box. He had a few notable moments. Near the end, he scored the equalizer, but it was ruled out by VAR for a razor-thin offside.

Miguel Merentiel (-)

Too little time to be rated. But the minutes he was on the pitch were enough to show his quality, despite being injured, though it was not enough to make the difference in attack.

Claudio Úbeda (3)

The opening minutes were well planned, with an attacking Boca eager to go after the win and, therefore, qualification to the next round of the Copa Libertadores. But after Universidad Católica’s goal, he never found an answer to try to turn things around. He made logical substitutions with the players he had on the bench and did not take the risk of throwing in a player lacking match fitness.

Keep reading:

When Boca and River could face each other in the Copa Sudamericana

Claudio Úbeda spoke about his future as Boca manager after the elimination

When Boca play O'Higgins in the Copa Sudamericana

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