Boca welcomes Racing with red numbers, at the start of a race to qualify for the League Cup

The defeat of Mouth in view of Unionlast Wednesday, It deeply affected the spirits of Xeneizes fans. It’s just that three days after the celebration against Belgrano and the three goals of Cavani to turn on the illusion in the League Cupthe team played very poorly in Santa Fe, lost in the final against Tatengue and missed the opportunity to climb the Zone B table.

Boca plays badly and it is football crisis It’s so long that it’s hard to tell when it started or when was the last time you had reliable equipment. Because playing a good game doesn’t mean playing well. Beyond the (precious) titles or (precious) finals of recent years, this feeling was also experienced with Russo, Battaglia, Ibarra, Almirón, Herrón’s provisional positions and this handful of matches under the protective wing of Diego Martinez.

There are nine times in which the former Huracán and Tigre coach led the Ribera team, with a weak record of three wins, four draws and two defeats. But with an addition: those only three victories were against the last three teams in the standings, Central Cordoba, Belgrano AND Tiger.

“Going to see Boca is like going to the cinema to see a film which is good. Then we’ll see how it turns out… but it’s good,” he said. Juan Roman Riquelmewho came out to speak as every time Xeneize suffers in spirit due to some setback from the strong.

If we analyze Xeneize’s last year, this feeling of football crisis translates into two key data: Boca have barely won 8 of their last 33 matchesand last time they had two consecutive victories it was eight months ago, on July 24 and 29, 2023, when they beat Newell’s and Independiente in Avellaneda. Too much time. It was the end of a five-match winning streak, followed by this 33-game drought that is worrying today.

After the 3-2 against Belgrano, Boca did little in Santa Fe to reverse their negative record. The first and almost only clear chance came with the first shot on target, at the end, from that shot Kevin Zeno calling for a corner but goalkeeper Dante Nicolás Campisi managed to save to make one of the saves of the day. It was too great a triumph and a prize; but came the headbutt from “Mugre” Corvalán and this blow to the chin.

If they want to qualify for the next phase of the League Cup, Boca will have to turn the situation around immediately, and the first stop is Bravas, the classic against racing in the Bombonera. The Academy also arrives looking for points, so tonight’s duel at 9.30pm has the flavor of a final, with everything it can represent for those who win or lose.

Boca will suffer from two important absences this evening: they dropped out on Friday Chiquito Romerodue to a blow to the Achilles tendon in his left foot, and fell on Saturday Nicola Figal, with a sprained left knee. They add to the lack of other similar players Pol Fernandez AND Ezequiel Equi FernandezWhile Marcos Rossowho had no record in 2024, was called up at the last minute.

The ranking shows Boca with 13 points in seventh place, three behind Newell’s AND Lanusthird and fourth of the four that enter the playoffs. Students (which he has already lost and remained at 18) and Godoy Cruz (19, with match pending) leader and escort remain.

Boca needs to “win, win and win”, to paraphrase Carlos Bilardo, which has been denied. After receiving the team Gustavo Costa He will have four Braves games left: Newell’s as a visitor, Saint Lawrence At home, Students to La Plata and receive Godoy Cruz.

The shirt is heavy and as long as mathematics allows it the illusion will always be there. Of course, Boca will have to play better at some point; Everyone in Brandsen 805 knows it, from Riquelme and Martínez down to the last of their fans.