With only one new signing: Boca's line-up vs Sarmiento in Copa Argentina | OneFootball

Boca’s official debut this half of the season will come amid the expectation surrounding Rodolfo Arruabarrena’s debut on the bench and with the certainty that only one new signing will take the field against Sarmiento in Rosario. After an intense preseason and with a demanding schedule ahead, the club from La Ribera is playing for qualification in the Copa Argentina in the middle of a highly turbulent transfer market.

The Boca side travels to Rosario with the unavoidable goal of securing a place in the round of 16 of the federal competition. This match against El Verdolaga, scheduled for this Thursday at 9:45 p.m. at Coloso Marcelo Bielsa Stadium, will mark the beginning of the Vasco’s second spell in charge of the blue-and-gold institution. The coach had to deal with setbacks when putting together the starting eleven due to late registrations and unfortunate injuries.

The standout name in the starting lineup is undoubtedly Leandro Lozano, the Uruguayan full-back signed from Argentinos Juniors, for whom the board paid a net fee of 3.5 million dollars. His presence on the right flank is a response to the tactical urgency of filling a position that was heavily thinned out by the departures of Juan Barinaga and Marcelo Weigandt. Lozano is therefore shaping up to be the only new face to get minutes from the start in Santa Fe province.

Vasco Arruabarrena has his team set to face Sarmiento.

By contrast, the other signings from this winter break had to stay in Buenos Aires. Neither Colombian goalkeeper Álvaro Montero nor forward Sebastián Villa, who arrived in the country, could be registered in time for this knockout tie.

The surprises and absences in Boca’s starting eleven

The Xeneize’s setup will feature mostly familiar names. Leandro Brey will remain between the posts. The back line will be made up of Nicolás Figal and Ayrton Costa, while Leandro Lozano and Lautaro Blanco will play out wide. In midfield, the experience of Santiago Ascacíbar and the freshness of Milton Delgado will look to bring balance to a vertical attack led by Alan Velasco, Tomás Aranda, Leonel Flores, and top scorer Miguel Merentiel.

The Xeneize has just wrapped up its preseason with a friendly against Paranaense.

Match details

Keep reading:

It’s official: Tomás Aranda, Boca’s new No. 10

The reinforcements arrived late: Álvaro Montero and Sebastián Villa are not traveling to Rosario with Boca

Arruabarrena’s first official squad list: Boca’s call-ups vs. Sarmiento

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