Boca’s player ratings in the rout of Defensa in Varela | OneFootball

Boca is still celebrating. After the win in the Superclásico, Claudio Úbeda decided to field an alternate lineup against Defensa y Justicia, and it paid off. On the final matchday of Group A of the Apertura Tournament, the Xeneize claimed a 4-0 win with goals from Milton Giménez, Alan Velasco, Adam Bareiro, and Miguel Merentiel. They secured qualification for the playoffs.

Even though the team did not play its best match and, in the first half, was outplayed by the Halcón de Varela, the substitutions gave it new life after the break. Every player who came on was key to sealing the rout away from home and earning Boca’s fourth straight win outside La Bombonera. Below is the player-by-player breakdown of Boca’s victory.

Leandro Brey (6)

A good game from the young goalkeeper. Amid the criticism, he kept another clean sheet and now has his 20th shutout for Boca. He punched away several crosses and looked very solid between the posts. His footwork still remains an area to improve.

Juan Barinaga (5)

The right back is still not delivering. Barinaga lost his starting spot and, tonight, had a decent match. He was not troubled in defense and had little impact in attack. He rarely ventured forward.

Nicolás Figal (5)

With neither Leandro Paredes nor Ander Herrera in the starting lineup, he captained the team. As he does whenever he plays, he showed firmness and defensive solidity. He had no problems in duels and even attempted a long diagonal ball for Zeballos behind the center backs.

Marco Pellegrino (4)

It was not his best night. During the first half, he looked hesitant. Juan Gutiérrez got in behind him on what was Defensa y Justicia’s 1-0, but fortunately for him VAR ruled it out for a razor-thin offside. He also nearly got into trouble with Brey because of a lack of communication.

Malcom Braida (5)

He started well, but gradually faded. Active in defense. In attack he got forward cautiously, although he never made it all the way to the byline to send in a cross. He stayed in the final third, trying to combine with Zeballos.

Milton Delgado (5)

He started by chance. Úbeda had planned to leave him on the bench to rest ahead of the Copa Libertadores, but Ander Herrera’s injury during the warm-up forced Boca’s coach to use the young midfielder. Without Paredes beside him, he did not have his best match. He committed several fouls and was booked for repeated infringements.

Tomás Belmonte (5)

A positive match from Toto, involved in two of Boca’s four goals. First, he anticipated Fiermarín’s clearance and headed it to Alan Velasco in the move that started Giménez’s goal. Then, near the end, he and Aranda pressed Banega, won the ball, and triggered the move that led to the goal that sealed the game.

Ángel Romero (3)

He was far from his best. The Paraguayan forward started again and had to play as a right midfielder. He looked uncomfortable. He barely had contact with the ball. He had to drop deep and ended up far from the opposing goal.

Alan Velasco (7)

One of his best matches since arriving at Boca, and he topped it off with a goal. Although he did not have much involvement on the ball in the first half, he made a major contribution off it. In the second half, like the team as a whole, he significantly raised his level. Active on the ball. He received a pass from Changuito, won with his speed, and after a run of more than 60 meters found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper to make it 2-0.

Boca cruised to victory and qualified for the 2026 Apertura Tournament playoffs. Photo: Gerónimo Marino/La Número 12.

Exequiel Zeballos (5)

It was not his best game, but what little he did was enough for him to be one of the team’s higher-rated players. Positioned on the left, he often found himself one-on-one with the opposing fullback and managed to beat him. In the first half he stood out with a great individual play, including a step-over, to get into the box, and the ball was taken away from him at the last second. In the second half it was similar, but he shot wide of the near post. He assisted Velasco for the 2-0.

Milton Giménez (6)

He played his second match as a starter after surgery for pubalgia. And just like against Independiente, he scored again. In his first involvement he gave a warning of what was coming, with a half-turn shot that went wide. In the 22nd minute, he received the ball from Velasco, turned, and hit a right-footed shot that took a deflection off a center back and worked in his favor for Boca’s 1-0.

Santiago Ascacibar (5)

He came on at halftime in place of Ángel Romero. He first linked up well with Milton Delgado and then, with Leandro Paredes, fully brought out his qualities. He dared to get forward, although without any clear chances to shoot on goal.

Adam Bareiro (6)

True to his style, he made sure to battle with every center back. He embraced the physical play and won. He touched the ball only a few times, but the most important one was when he tapped it into the net for the 3-0. He followed Aranda’s play and simply set his foot to become Boca’s top scorer so far this year.

Leandro Paredes (6)

From the moment he came on, he became the master of midfield. He never rushed, controlled the tempo exactly as he pleased. Defensa let him play and he caused all sorts of problems with simple touches. He slipped a pass through to Aranda at the start of the team’s third goal.

Tomás Aranda (6)

He looks more comfortable on the field with every game. He combined brilliantly with Leandro Paredes. He was key in the last two goals. He found space and made a run in behind to go one-on-one with the opposing goalkeeper and square it for Adam Bareiro to make it 3-0. For the fourth goal, he won the ball back in midfield and assisted Merentiel.

Miguel Merentiel (6)

La Bestia had gone several matches without showing his best form. He ended a six-game goalless streak. He made the diagonal run, received a pass from Aranda, and with a simple move rounded the Halcón goalkeeper to finish with the net at his mercy.

Claudio Úbeda (8)

He decided to rest all the starters knowing Boca face Cruzeiro on Tuesday in the Copa Libertadores. Although the first half was not the best, he was bold enough to make changes from halftime and made the difference. He picked the right names at the right moments to give the team fresh air, and they responded by taking the three points and qualification. El Sifón is still on a roll.

Keep reading:

How Boca stand in the Apertura Tournament table after the rout over Defensa

Boca rout Defensa y Justicia in Varela and qualify for the Apertura Tournament playoffs

Last-minute change for Boca: Ander Herrera injured in the warm-up

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