Boca today: possible outcomes v Católica and banners at La Bombonera | OneFootball

Boca woke up today already knowing the result between Universidad Católica and Barcelona, which determined every possible scenario ahead of the final matchday of the Copa Libertadores group stage. In addition, banners appeared around La Bombonera and the training ground.

Los Cruzados’ 2-0 win in Chile forces Boca to win on the final matchday of Group D in order to advance to the next round. Any other result, a draw or a loss, will eliminate them from the competition and they will have to settle for the Sudamericana.

Boca depends on itself to qualify. If it manages to beat Universidad Católica, it will reach 10 points and, thanks to the head-to-head tiebreaker system implemented by CONMEBOL starting with this edition, it will finish above the Chilean side for having won both direct meetings (the 2-1 in Santiago and the hypothetical win at La Bombonera).

Boca is now obliged to beat Católica on the final matchday.

To know its final position in the event of a win and the ensuing qualification, it will have to wait for the result of Cruzeiro vs Barcelona, who will play on the same Thursday, May 28, at the same time as the match in Buenos Aires.

If Cruzeiro lose: a surprise defeat for the Brazilians would leave them on 8 points. That way, with a win of their own, Boca would jump to first place in the group with 10 points, pushing Universidad Católica into second place and sending Cruzeiro to the Copa Sudamericana.

If Cruzeiro draw: if Barcelona manage to rescue a point against the Brazilians, Cruzeiro will remain stuck on 9 points. The outcome would be identical to the previous one for Boca’s hopes: Boca would qualify as outright group leaders if they make home advantage count against the Chileans.

If Cruzeiro win: this is the scenario that would leave Boca in second place. If the Belo Horizonte side beat the Ecuadorians, they will reach 11 points, becoming unreachable at the top of Group D. In this case, Boca would qualify in second with 10 points, leaving Católica in third place due to the head-to-head rule.

At La Bombonera, the team’s fate will be decided.

Boca woke up today to banners

Banners appeared both around the Alberto J. Armando stadium and at the Ezeiza training ground, presumably hung by fans. They read, “Boca against everyone,” with no other message or reference.

This phrase is a clear reference to what happened in the last match against Cruzeiro, where the team was harmed by refereeing decisions that condemned them to a draw. Supporters of the club from La Ribera feel that the team must fight not only on the pitch, but also against outside factors.

That is because, at the Xeneize, they believe the refereeing team judged two similar plays by different standards. Milton Delgado’s handball, for which the 2-1 scored by Miguel Merentiel was disallowed, and later Lucas Romero’s handball, which was not reviewed thoroughly enough and did not even prompt a VAR call for the main referee to go and check it.

Keep reading:

Boca are already active in the transfer market: talks opened for Felipe Loyola

Boca take note: how the table stands after Universidad Católica’s win

Boca on alert: in Italy, Paulo Dybala’s renewal with Roma is considered a done deal

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