With Flores unstoppable, Boca reserves have one foot in the quarters | OneFootball

Boca’s reserve team thrashed Defensa y Justicia 5-0 in Ezeiza with braces from Leonel Flores and Juan Pussetto, while Gonzalo Gelini scored the other. The side managed by Mariano Herrón reached 36 points in Group B of the 2026 Torneo Proyección Apertura and has one foot in the next round.

The team from La Ribera gave the visitors no breathing room from the opening whistle. Five minutes into the first half, a precise assist from Santiago Zampieri found Leonel Flores, who opened the scoring and set Boca on course for a crushing win.

Far from settling, the Xeneize kept pressing and, just eight minutes later (13' FH), Flores struck again to complete his brace and make it 2-0, the scoreline the teams took into halftime. The forward not only shone in front of goal during the 60 minutes he was on the pitch, but was also unstoppable, constantly helping out defensively.

At the start of the second half, Boca delivered the knockout blow. In the 6th minute, Leonel Flores turned provider for Gonzalo Gelini to score the third. Gelini rounded off an exceptional performance, battling for every ball and looking tireless in the high press.

With the match already wrapped up, Herrón turned to the bench and the substitutes responded brilliantly. Facundo Herrera, who played as a central midfielder throughout the second half, did his job by giving the team balance.

In the final minutes, the duo that came off the bench proved lethal. Rodrigo Bacidalupe produced two moments of magic to set up Juan Pussetto, who made no mistake in the box and grabbed his brace in a late burst (39' SH and 44' SH), sealing the emphatic 5-0 final score.

How the standings look

With this emphatic win, the team has strengthened its place at the top of Group B in the 2026 Torneo Proyección Apertura. The numbers speak for themselves: it is the sole leader with 36 points thanks to 11 wins, 3 draws, and just 2 defeats.

Juan Pussetto also scored a brace. Photo: Gerónimo Marino/La Número 12.

The Xeneize already has one foot in the quarterfinals. Although it still has to wait for some other results to mathematically confirm qualification, it is practically certain that the team from La Ribera will be in the next round fighting for the title.

Boca reserves lineup vs Defensa y Justicia

The team that started the rout over Defensa. Photo: Gerónimo Marino/La Número 12.

When the reserves play again

After this 5-0 thrashing of Defensa y Justicia, the Xeneize side will play again next Wednesday, June 10, against Newell's. The match will take place in Rosario, specifically at Marcelo Bielsa Stadium, popularly known as El Coloso del Parque, starting at 3:00 PM.

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