Sebastián Villa, one of the two owners who will play for Boca. Photo: AP
Boca Juniors, the last soccer champion in Argentina, begin their Professional Soccer League (LPF) campaign as Arsenal home this Sunday in a match valid for the starting date in which they use a team with only two starting players: the captain Carlos Izquierdoz and Colombian Sebastian Villa.
The match is played from 7:30 pm at the Bombonera, is refereed by Fernando Espinoza and broadcast on television by the TNT Sports signal.
The team led by Sebastián Battaglia became League Cup champion after an impeccable campaign that ended with a beating in the final against Tigre (3-0), in Córdoba, and will start the second half of the year with a program dense, between the local tournament, the Copa Libertadores and the Copa Argentina.
This is why Battaglia has decided to measure up his efforts and will make his debut against “Ass” with two starters compared to his ideal formation, albeit with a highly competitive team.
It is that Boca will play on Wednesday against Ferro Carril Oeste, of the First National, the draw for the 16th final of the Argentine Cup in La Rioja and in that engagement Battaglia will include the other holders, with the exception of the three players who are interested in the respective selected.
Boca cannot count on Peruvians Carlos Zambrano and Luis Advíncula, the latter with a muscle injury, or on Paraguayan Oscar Romero.
In any case, Boca debuts with an offensive “trident” made up of Villa, on the podium of the best players of the team, Santiago’s Exequiel Zeballos and Santa Fe scorer Luis Vázquez, plus a game generator like Aaron Molinas, in a formation that generates enthusiasm.
Javier García is in goal and two club-trained players Marcelo Weigandt and Agustín Sandez are on the flanks. In between there is another product of the lower leagues of Boca who asks for a clue in the starting lineup like Cristian Medina.
Opposite is Arsenal, which the last time they visited Boca at the Bombonera complicated and obtained a draw (2-2) which generated some criticism of the “Xeneize” defense and who will try to exploit the absences of figures such as Darío Benedetto, Eduardo Salvio, Marcos Rojo, Frank Fabra, Guillermo “Pol” Fernández and the player who joined the starting team and improved the whole team: central midfielder Alan Varela.
– Probable lineups –
Boca Juniors: Javier Garcia; Marcelo Weigandt, Nicolás Figal, Carlos Izquierdoz and Agustín Sandez; Cristian Medina, Esteban Rolón and Aaron Molinas; Exequiel Zeballos, Luis Vázquez and Sebastián Villa. DT: Sebastian Battaglia.
Arsenal: Alejandro Medina; Cristian Chimino, Gonzalo Goñi, Ignacio Gariglio and Leonardo Marchi; Mauro Pittón, Dardo Miloc, Leonel Picco and Facundo Kruspzky; Sebastián Lomónaco and Cristian Colmán. DT: Leonardo Madelon.
Referee: Fernando Espinoza.
Basketball court. Boca Juniors.
Starting time: 19.30.
TV: ESPN Premium.
Source: Clarin
