They're up for it: Arruabarrena's praise for Boca's squad | OneFootball

The first leg of the 2026 Copa Sudamericana quarterfinals left Boca with a good feeling. At La Bombonera, Rodolfo Arruabarrena’s side claimed a 1-0 win over São Paulo thanks to a goal from Miguel Merentiel and will head into the second leg at Morumbí with the advantage.

Arruabarrena’s team put in a good performance, although there were some inaccuracies both collectively and individually. Part of that is explained by the difficult few weeks Boca has gone through in terms of fitness.

Merentiel celebrates. Photo: Marcos Brindicci/Getty Images.

To the long list of injuries that has significantly affected Arruabarrena’s work since his arrival, an unfavorable buildup to the match against the Brazilians was added. As early as Saturday’s game against Gimnasia de Mendoza, there were players with fever symptoms who were unable to train normally.

Arruabarrena explained that, under these circumstances, “it’s complicated” to prepare for a match. He also said that during those days there were “three or four guys showing early flu symptoms or feeling unwell” and stressed that, despite that, they did not have a fever and were able to play against São Paulo.

“Lea (Paredes) is one of them, Ascacibar, Merentiel, Charly Palacios,” Arruabarrena emphasized. He also said that the Chilean midfielder has swelling on his face. The coach praised their effort because it shows that “they want to be there” and “they’re eager,” although he warned that “every three or four days another soldier is going to fall, and I hope whoever comes in is up to the task.”

What’s next for Arruabarrena’s Boca

The second leg against São Paulo will be on Tuesday, September 15 at Morumbí, starting at 9:30 p.m. Before that match, Boca will have to face its commitments in the 2026 Torneo Clausura and will look to improve its position ahead of the playoffs and the overall table. For the moment, it has lost its Copa Libertadores spot and is three points behind Vélez, the last team currently holding that berth.

Calleri will miss the second leg at Morumbí after accumulating yellow cards.

The next match will be this Friday the 11th, starting at 9:30 p.m., against Central Córdoba of Santiago del Estero at La Bombonera. The domestic outlook is not exactly calm either: after wrapping up the tie against the Brazilians, Boca will have to visit San Lorenzo and face Racing in the Copa Argentina quarterfinals.

Keep reading:

Boca’s player ratings in the first-leg win over São Paulo in the quarterfinals

When Boca will play the return leg against São Paulo

When Boca plays again after beating São Paulo in the Sudamericana

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