Boca went to Asunción on Tuesday with a clear job to finish: protect a 3-1 advantage over Recoleta FC and book a place in the Copa Sudamericana quarter-finals. With the tie set for the Defensores del Chaco at 19.00, Rodolfo Arruabarrena’s side arrived knowing the first leg had already given them control.
The return meeting came a week after Boca beat Recoleta FC 3-1 at Tomás Adolfo Ducó, a result shaped in part by the fact that Recoleta had Wilfrido Báez and Dairon Mosquera sent off. That first-leg edge meant Boca did not need to force the issue in Asunción, but they still had to manage the game properly against a side that had prepared carefully for the second leg.
The atmosphere was also expected to lean heavily towards Boca. The Defensores del Chaco was set to be filled with supporters of the Argentine club, with 20,000 Boca fans and 2,000 Recoleta fans in the stadium. In a knockout tie like this, that kind of backdrop matters, even before a ball is kicked.
Boca’s focus was on control, not drama
Arruabarrena took Boca to Paraguay and selected the team for the return leg with the simple challenge of seeing the tie through. The first-leg margin meant Boca were not chasing a comeback story, but instead trying to avoid giving Recoleta any early belief. That is often the harder task away from home, especially in a second leg where the opponent knows it needs to take risks.
There was also a reminder that Boca’s domestic form had not been perfect. On the fifth date of the Paraguayan Clausura, Boca drew 1-1 with Platense. Recoleta, meanwhile, came into the game after losing 2-1 at home to 2 de Mayo on the fifth date of the Clausura paraguayo, having used an alternate team in that league match to prepare for the return leg.
What the tie meant for both sides
For Boca, the equation was straightforward: hold the 3-1 lead and move on. For Recoleta, the challenge was more difficult because the first leg had already left them with a significant deficit and two players down. They needed a far cleaner performance at home to turn the contest around.
The reward for the winner was clear too. A place in the Copa Sudamericana quarter-finals would bring either San Pablo or Bolívar in the next round, adding another layer of importance to a tie that already carried plenty of weight. In that sense, Boca’s task in Asunción was not only about defending a lead, but about keeping their larger campaign on track.
