No improvement: Boca struggle again, held to goalless draw by Platense | OneFootball

Boca drew 0-0 at La Bombonera against Platense, in a match corresponding to the fifth round of Zone A in the 2026 Apertura Tournament. Claudio Úbeda’s team did not play well and left the stadium to whistles, as the crowd disapproved of yet another poor performance by the blue and gold at home.

From the outset, any plan that might have been executed was not going to work; the formation was yet another improvisation, accompanied by players who haven’t been performing for quite some time. Just like the coach, they remain in debt and give no sense that they are going to turn things around, because desire alone is no longer enough for Xeneize.

Lucas Janson is a clear example: he put in the effort but, once again, from a footballing standpoint, made it clear that he is not fit to be a starter, not for this Boca nor any other. Ángel Romero was a victim of the current situation: he played in a position he has rarely played in his career, as a right winger, and looked uncomfortable. Without two partners up to the task, Miguel Merentiel was also unable to stand out.

With no attacking references, the combative midfield was never going to be the solution: three central midfielders with Leandro Paredes carrying a knock resulted in a low level of play. The only card that worked was Lautaro Blanco on the left, who with little managed to outshine Juan Barinaga, who had a poor match.

Cavani played again after several months out. Photo: Gerónimo Marino/La Número 12.

The substitutions, with youngsters like Tomás Aranda and Gonzalo Gelini, also failed to respond to how poorly Xeneize played. Not even the return of Edinson Cavani brought order; he’s not ready to start and won’t make an impact with just a few changes. The outlook, in terms of play, will continue to be bleak if the coach does not rise to the occasion.

Boca’s next match

Xeneize won’t have to wait long for a chance at redemption at La Bombonera. Next Friday, February 20, they will face Racing. The classic, which will be played at 8:00 p.m., will have a special ingredient: it’s the team that knocked Xeneize out in the semifinals of the 2025 Clausura Tournament, just a few months ago.

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