Despite the win, Boca couldn't top Zona A in Apertura 2026 | OneFootball

Boca did its job and beat Central Córdoba 2-1 at the end of the regular season. However, Estudiantes de La Plata’s victory over Platense sealed first place in Group A of the 2026 Apertura Tournament.

The Xeneize wrapped up its run in the regular season of the 2026 Apertura Tournament with a smile in Santiago del Estero, although the biggest prize of the day ended up in someone else’s hands. The team managed to earn a 2-1 win over Central Córdoba, a vital result to put pressure on the leader, but it ultimately was not enough to take the top spot in Group A from the team from the city of diagonals.

The match at the Único Madre de Ciudades stadium showed an alternate lineup determined to go after all three points from the start. Needing a win to keep its final chance alive, Claudio Úbeda’s side struck at the right moments to grind out a hard-fought victory and reach 30 points in the standings.

Claudio Úbeda managed to get the team back on track after a shaky start. Photo: Info del Estero

With Boca’s win already secured in the earlier kickoff, all the pressure shifted to Vicente López, where Estudiantes visited Platense knowing that any slip-up would cost it first place. Far from feeling the nerves, the La Plata side showed why it led for much of the tournament and claimed a convincing 2-0 win (a result sealed well into the final stretch of the match).

This victory lifted Estudiantes to 31 points, making it unreachable for the team from La Ribera. With all 16 matchdays now played for both sides, the math is final: the Pincha finishes as the best team in Group A, while Boca must still wait for Vélez’s result to find out whether it will ultimately hold on to second place.

Boca still has not secured second place

Although the dream of finishing first has already vanished, the Xeneize still has to wait for the round to end to mathematically confirm its status as runner-up. Vélez Sarsfield, which will close out the round this Monday at home against Newell's Old Boys, is the only team with a chance to push Boca down to third place. However, to do so, El Fortín will need a result of historic proportions.

The Liniers side heads into its match with 27 points and a +6 goal difference. Naturally, to match Boca’s 30 points, the team from La Ribera, it must take all three points. But Vélez’s real obstacle lies in the numbers: Úbeda’s team closed the regular season with an overwhelming +13 goal difference. To snatch second place, Guillermo Barros Schelotto’s side needs to beat La Lepra by a margin of seven goals or more.

Guillermo’s Vélez must win by 7 goals to overtake the Xeneize.

A 7-0 win, for example, would allow it to match Boca’s +13 goal difference, but it would still move above them in the table thanks to the second tiebreaker established by the regulations: goals scored. With a win by that margin, El Fortín would reach 24 goals in the tournament, surpassing the 22 with which the Xeneize finished.

Any Vélez win by fewer than seven goals, a draw, or a loss will leave Boca firmly in second place in Group A heading into the round of 16 matchups. In any case, it is worth noting that the team from La Ribera has already secured its match next weekend at La Bombonera.

Keep reading:

Claudio Úbeda praised Boca’s rotation, but issued a warning: “we shouldn’t...”

How Boca finished in the standings and who its opponent will be in the Apertura 2026 round of 16

Boca’s player ratings in the win over Central Córdoba

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