Católica win changes Boca: rest v Central Córdoba, best XI v Barcelona SC | OneFootball

After the defeat against Cruzeiro in Belo Horizonte, Universidad Católica’s win over Barcelona SC was no ordinary result: it completely reshaped Copa Libertadores Group D and left Boca in a position that forces them to adjust their planning on the fly. With all the teams tightly packed in the standings, the margin for error shrank more than expected.

Given this new scenario, Claudio Úbeda made a strong decision: he will rotate all the starters in this Saturday’s match against Central Córdoba in Santiago del Estero. The priority is clear: arrive in Guayaquil with the best possible team, where the Xeneize will go in search of three points against the weakest rival in order to breathe again in a group that has become red-hot.

The change in context is total. Until a few days ago, alone at the top, Úbeda could manage workloads with more room to spare, but the extreme parity after the third Libertadores matchday changed the equation. Now there is no room for speculation: Boca need physical freshness and maximum concentration for a clash that could shape their path in the tournament.

In addition, the fact that they ended up behind Universidad Católica in the standings — despite being level on points — adds pressure to the immediate objective. A slip-up in Ecuador could leave them in an uncomfortable position heading into the final matchdays.

Thus, the combination of the loss in Brazil and an unexpected result elsewhere ended up fully conditioning Boca’s schedule. From planned rotation to a shift in priorities: everything now points to Tuesday, in a match that has taken on huge importance.

Why Boca dropped to second place in the Copa Libertadores group For this edition, Conmebol decided to change the tiebreak criteria when two or more teams are level on points, and that is why the Chilean side leads the group, even though the Xeneize beat them.

Previously, the first tiebreaker was overall goal difference in the whole group, but now the head-to-head criterion is used: the first things taken into account are the direct encounters, goal difference, and goals scored among the teams involved.

Boca beat Universidad Católica 2-1, Daniel Garnero’s team won by the same score against Cruzeiro in Brazil, and the Belo Horizonte side defeated the Xeneize 1-0. As a result, in the matches among the three teams, all have three points and a +1 goal difference.

The third criterion is goals scored in the matches among the three teams, and that is where the Chileans have the edge: they have three, while Boca and Cruzeiro have scored only two.

The tiebreak between Boca and Cruzeiro is decided by the fourth tiebreak criterion, which then goes to overall goal difference in the group, favoring the Xeneize because of the thrashing of Barcelona at La Bombonera. That is why Claudio Úbeda’s side are in second place.

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