Boca's ratings in the win over Central Córdoba

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La Número 12

·2 May 2026

Boca's ratings in the win over Central Córdoba

Boca put the defeat against Cruzeiro in the Copa Libertadores behind them and earned a 2-1 win over Central Córdoba in the rescheduled Matchday 9 of Group A in the Apertura Tournament. Alan Velasco and Milton Giménez scored the goals for a backup side that once again rose to the occasion.

With the win, the Xeneize temporarily move to the top of the group and must wait to see what happens with Estudiantes de La Plata to determine their final position heading into the playoffs, which begin next week. Below are Boca’s ratings in Santiago del Estero:

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Leandro Brey (6)

He had little involvement throughout the match. In the first half, he raised more doubts than certainties between the posts due to a lack of communication with Pellegrino and a poor clearance that nearly ended in a goal for the opposition (the play was ruled out for offside). In the second half, he made a great save from Santos’ quick turn and shot.

Juan Barinaga (4)

He did not make it through the full 45 minutes on the pitch. In the opening 15 minutes, he had no major defensive issues, but going forward he let the ball get away from him and crashed hard into Quiroga. He suffered an injury in the hamstring area of his right leg. He tried to stay on, but asked to be substituted before halftime.

Nicolás Figal (5)

Without standing out as he had in previous matches, he still put in a solid performance. He was willing to step out of position, where he often becomes overly confident. He lost a key aerial duel to Maciel, which led to Central Córdoba pulling one back.

Marco Pellegrino (6)

Strong in defense and in every challenge. On several occasions, he rushed his decision-making and panicked while clearing the ball without listening to Brey, who was trying to claim possession. On the Ferroviario goal, he lost track of Santos.

Malcom Braida (7)

With every match, he performs better than in the last one. Under Úbeda, he has dropped deeper on the pitch until establishing himself as the backup left back behind Blanco. He linked up very well with Zeballos, pushed forward, got all the way to the byline, and looked for support to finish plays. Solid in defense.

William Alarcón (5)

He got minutes again after eight matches. His previous appearance had been on February 28. He did not shine as expected, but he had a decent match. He showed a few sporadic flashes, though he is still far from his best version. He pounced on a rebound to set up Velasco for the goal.

Tomás Belmonte (6)

A good match from the midfielder, who is slowly starting to show some positive signs. Solid defensively, although going forward he still needs more confidence to take risks with through balls. On several occasions he tried to switch play to the right side, but with some inaccuracy.

Alan Velasco (7)

As he did against Defensa y Justicia, the former Independiente man once again had a very good game, including a goal. Despite not seeing much of the ball, he had already given a warning in the first half with a free kick that floated gently into Aguerre’s hands. But near the end of the first half, with the help of a deflection, he made it 1-0.

Ángel Romero (4)

Another poor outing from the Paraguayan. He still has not found his place on the field. Starting on the right, he tried to get involved by drifting inside as a playmaker. One of his clearest chances was a falling shot that went just wide of the right post. He came off near the end of the match.

Exequiel Zeballos (8)

On the left, he did whatever he wanted. From the very first second he got on the ball, he showed his outstanding attacking quality, beating defenders with a single touch. After a step-over, he set up Milton Giménez twice: once on a move ruled out for offside and then for the 2-0 goal right before halftime.

Milton Giménez (0)

He did not have much contact with the ball, but the times he did were crucial in putting Boca ahead. Twice he had to adjust his foot to guide a pass into the back of the net. The first was ruled out by VAR for offside and the second stood. He keeps adding to his personal tally and now has 20 goals in 66 matches wearing the blue and gold.

Marcelo Weigandt (5)

As in previous matches, he went largely unnoticed. He came on near the end of the first half in place of Barinaga. Defensively, he had no major issues because he was hardly tested, and offensively he had no real influence. A few attempts to get past midfield, but not much more.

Tomás Aranda (7)

He came on in the second half. He operated on the left and delivered two excellent passes that could have ended in goals for Boca. He had space to think and create between the midfielders and forwards.

Miguel Merentiel (5)

He is not sharp in front of goal right now. He created more chances than Giménez inside the box, but finished all of them poorly. He had two one-on-ones with Aguerre and failed to score either. First, La Bestia tried to blast it past him but hit it straight at the keeper, while on the second he aimed for the near post with the outside of his foot and the goalkeeper made himself huge.

Leandro Paredes (6)

His entrance gave Boca some relief when they seemed overwhelmed in midfield. True to his style since arriving at the club, with a simple touch he sent his teammates through on goal. The standout moment was a sensational move out from the back, nutmeg included, followed by a pass of more than 30 meters for Merentiel, who finished poorly.

Milton Delgado (6)

He came on together with the captain. The two of them changed the team’s energy. They know each other very well, complement each other, play almost instinctively, and gave Boca what they needed at the most difficult moment of the afternoon.

Claudio Úbeda (6)

As is usually the case whenever there is a Copa Libertadores match midweek, Úbeda fielded an alternate lineup and rested all the starters ahead of Tuesday’s clash against Barcelona of Ecuador in Guayaquil. When the match started getting complicated, he sent on Paredes and Delgado, who gave the team some breathing room to secure the three points.