For Boca, Thursday’s visit to Chile is bigger than a simple return leg. O'Higgins vs Boca at Estadio Codelco El Teniente in Rancagua will decide whether the Xeneize move into the Copa Sudamericana round of 16, and they arrive with a 1-0 advantage that is helpful without being comfortable.
That is the real tension in this tie. Boca were good enough to win the first leg 1-0, but their recent run has not exactly invited confidence. They came off a 3-0 loss to Deportivo Riestra in the opening date of the Torneo Clausura, and the article notes that the club still has not managed to stop a stretch of continental disappointments since the November 2023 extra-time defeat to Fluminense in the Maracaná.
Vasco Arruabarrena has already confirmed the lineup for the trip, and the shape of the team suggests Boca are treating this like a match they can control rather than one they need to chase. Boca will start with Leandro Paredes, Tomás Aranda, Nicolás Figal, Ayrton Costa, Lautaro Blanco, Santiago Ascacibar, Milton Delgado, Leandro Lozano, Sebastián Villa, Miguel Merentiel and Alan Robledo. That is a side built to compete, but also one that will be judged on whether it can protect its edge without turning passive.
How Boca approach the second leg
Arruabarrena framed the game in straightforward terms: “Nos preparamos como lo hacemos habitualmente, sabemos que será un partido duro con 2 equipos que piensan en el arco rival. Siempre está bueno tener una ventaja, sino te confiás. Espero que el hincha disfrute de un buen partido y que podamos pasar.” That is a sensible reading of the tie. A one-goal lead changes the arithmetic, but it does not remove the danger, especially away from home and with qualification at stake.
The wider context matters too. The trip to Chile comes as Boca also faces uncertainty over its next home fixtures. The Bombonera field problems in the first leg, along with expected heavy rain in CABA, are cited as reasons the club may move upcoming matches. Boca likely will not play at the Bombonera against Estudiantes on Wednesday 5 or against Vélez on Sunday 9 August, with a decision on the local stadium expected on Friday.
So Thursday is not just about one result. It is about whether Boca can steady themselves after an uneven start to the cycle and keep their continental run alive. The margin is slim, the setting is tricky, and the next phase of the season may shift depending on how they handle it. If Boca protect the lead, the round of 16 becomes the next step. If they do not, the questions around this team only get louder.
