Racing vs Boca for the Professional Football League: previews, TV and line-ups

Boca Juniorswho alternates good performances with disappointing ones, he will play tomorrow in Avellaneda against Racing Clubone of the candidates for the title, in a classic with a thousand attractions that is the outgoing party that proposes the date 13 of Professional Football League (LPF).

The match between “La Academia” and “Xeneizes” will be played from 20:30 at the “Cilindro” in Avellaneda, will be refereed by Fernando Rapallini and broadcast on television on ESPN Premium.

Boca have 18 points in the national tournament, with six wins and six defeats, and in the city of Avellaneda, Buenos Aires, one of its last cards will be played to gain a foothold in the fight for the championship since Atlético leader Tucumán added 28 units and showed a very solid performance.

The race, for its part, with 20 points, appears as the favorite for the best performance and unbeaten record in Avellaneda, although he will have to change some defensive details which made him leave several points on the road which, if added, would have placed him closer to the Tucumans.

Boca experienced another intense week, with the good news of qualifying for the quarter-finals of the Copa Argentina in which they defend the title, after a narrow victory over Agropecuario, of the First National, 1-0 in the draw played in Salta .

That success in Salta, however, left a bad taste in the mouth due to the series of injuries suffered by the club’s greatest promise, the striker Exequiel “Changuito” Zeballos of Santiago, to the shin and fibula of the skilful right leg, which led to a transaction and will require four to six months of inactivity.

Although Zeballos was not part of the starting lineup, he was a useful substitute thanks to his ability to break defenses and Boca will be missing, as they have no such players in the squad.

On a visit to Racing, the “Xeneize” coach Hugo Ibarra will modify the defense, the weakest point of the team (he has a negative goal balance with 18 for and 20 against), given that Nicolás Figal will enter as the first central to replace Facundo Roncaglia, with weak performances against Patronato (0-3) and Platense (2-1).

Meanwhile, the Peruvian Luis Advíncula has recovered from muscle overload and will be in the game, but not playing will be Juan Ramírez, who suffered the same problem but has not recovered.

Martín Payero will play in Ramírez’s place, while Agustín Rossi, who did not play the Argentine Cup and has given way to Javier García, will return to goal.

Another one who will restart is Darío “Pipa” Benedetto, who last played in the Professional League on July 16 against Talleres de Córdoba with a 1-0 win, then was ruled out with an ankle injury and entered a few minutes against Agropecuario, and in Avellaneda he will replace Luis Vázquez.

The classic will have several special toppings, since the great rivalry it professes has been added to the incorporation of goalkeeper Sergio “Chiquito” Romero to Boca, who emerged from Racing and was training at the “La Academia” facility, which has angered his fans and also annoyed president Víctor Blanco.

In addition, there will be a new confrontation against Boca of coach Fernando Gago, whose playing career is linked to “Xeneizes” where he trained, achieved notoriety and showed a style of play that generated admiration.

Gago’s previous match against Boca was in the League Cup that the “Xeneizes” won in the semifinals in definition on penalties and then became champions after beating Tigre in the definition (3-0) in Córdoba.

In Racing, Gago has not yet defined whether Gabriel Arias will return to goal or continue to face Gastón Gómez, who took over at the end of November last year when the Neuquén-nationalized Chilean ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

Those who will return will be Emiliano Insúa in defense of Lucas Orbán and in attack the scorer Enzo Copetti for Maximiliano Romero (neither was in the goalless draw against Barracas Central) and the only doubt is the presence in midfield of Carlos Alcaraz or replace him with Jonatan Gómez.

As for the match, it is assumed that Racing will repeat its attacking style with attacks on the flanks, especially in the sector occupied by Gabriel Hauche, fueled by the rise of full-backs Iván Pillud and Eugenio Mena, and also with a varied game in midfield, plus the danger inherent in any ball game stopped by the great shot of Matías Rojas.

Boca, meanwhile, will almost always depend on the speed of Colombian Sebastián Villa, plus the good moment of Paraguayan Oscar Romero, author of the brace against Platense, while Benedetto is unknown.

The history of the classic favors Boca with a difference in their favor of 28 games, as after having met 180 times, they have won 83 times against 55 of Avellaneda, plus 42 draws.

– Probable formations –

Racing Club: Gastón Gómez or Gabriel Arias; Iván Pillud, Jonathan Galván, Emiliano Insua and Eugenio Mena; Leonel Miranda, Aníbal Moreno and Carlos Alcaraz or Jonatan Gómez; Matías Rojas, Enzo Copetti and Gabriel Hauche. DT: Fernando Gago.

Boca Juniors: Augustin Rossi; Luis Advíncula, Nicolás Figal, Carlos Zambrano and Frank Fabra; Martín Payero, Alan Varela and Guillermo “Pol” Fernández; Oscar Romero; Dario Benedetto and Sebastiano Villa. DT: Hugo Ibarra.

Referee: Fernando Rapallini.

Field: Racing Club.

Starting time: 20.30.

TV: ESPN Premium.