Boca Juniors edges Cruzeiro in a tense encounter
Buenos Aires, Argentina – Boca Juniors secured a 1-0 victory over Cruzeiro in the first leg of the 2024 CONMEBOL Sudamericana Round of 16, played at the Estadio Alberto José Armando. The match was a tense affair with numerous yellow cards and a late goal deciding the outcome.
The first half was characterized by intensity and midfield battles. Both teams were aggressive in their marking, leading to a high number of fouls. Cruzeiro was more active in attack but failed to create clear scoring opportunities. Boca Juniors, on the other hand, remained more organized and effective in defense, with their back four playing compactly.
In the second half, Boca Juniors found more space on the pitch and began to pose a threat in the opponent’s box. The winning goal came in the 65th minute when Edinson Cavani capitalized on a pass from K. Zenon to finish with a diagonal shot.
The game maintained its high intensity until the final whistle, with Boca Juniors aiming to extend their lead and Cruzeiro seeking an equalizer. Yellow cards continued to be shown, but neither side managed to score another goal.
Match statistics:
* Boca Juniors: 52% possession, 11 shots (3 on target, 3 off target), 7 corners, 16 fouls, 2 yellow cards, 0 red cards
* Cruzeiro: 48% possession, 4 shots (1 on target, 2 off target), 0 corners, 20 fouls, 5 yellow cards, 0 red cards
Match events:
* 23′: Matheus Pereira (Cruzeiro) receives a yellow card.
* 23′: G. Fernandez (Boca Juniors) receives a yellow card.
* 30′: Walace (Cruzeiro) receives a yellow card.
* 41′: L. Romero (Cruzeiro) receives a yellow card.
* 43′: L. Diaz (Cruzeiro) receives a yellow card.
* 46′: A. Martegani enters for Boca Juniors.
* 52′: Arthur Gomes (Cruzeiro) receives a yellow card.
* 65′: E. Cavani scores a goal for Boca Juniors, assisted by K. Zenon.
* 67′: Kaio Jorge and Lucas Silva enter for Cruzeiro.
* 76′: Matheus Henrique enters for Cruzeiro.
* 76′: T. Belmonte enters for Boca Juniors.
* 87′: Kaiki enters for Cruzeiro.
* 88′: E. Zeballos enters for Boca Juniors.
* 90′: M. Gimenez enters for Boca Juniors.
* 90′: E. Zeballos (Boca Juniors) receives a yellow card.
The result puts Boca Juniors in a favorable position heading into the second leg, but Cruzeiro still has the chance to overturn the deficit in Brazil.
Substitutions boca juniors: at minute 46 A. Martegani came in and J. Saralegui went out., at minute 76 T. Belmonte came in and G. Fernandez went out., at minute 88 E. Zeballos came in and Miguel Merentiel went out., at minute 90 M. Gimenez came in and E. Cavani went out.
Substitutions cruzeiro: at minute 67 Kaio Jorge came in and Arthur Gomes went out., at minute 67 Lucas Silva came in and A. Barreal went out., at minute 76 Matheus Henrique came in and L. Romero went out., at minute 87 Kaiki came in and L. Diaz went out.
The teams lined up as follows:
Boca Juniors
Titulares:
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