Boca Juniors secured their place in the Round of 16 of the Argentine Primera Division Apertura Tournament with a 3-1 win over Belgrano on Saturday, thanks to strikes from Marcos Rojo, Kevin Zenon, and Carlos Palacios.
Leading Group A with 29 points, Boca holds a three-point advantage over second-placed Argentinos Juniors, with three games left in the regular phase. The top eight teams from each of the two groups advance to the knockout stages.
“I believe we were the rightful winners. It was a challenging match in a tough venue. They are a very aggressive side, which we anticipated from the outset. We aimed to battle at every turn,” said Boca defender Rojo during an interview with TNT Sports.
“We’re truly enjoying the present. However, we must keep striving, as the best is yet to come.”
Belgrano nearly took an early lead when Lucas Menossi found the net after seven minutes, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside during the build-up.
Boca finally broke the deadlock in the 38th minute when Rojo capitalised on a poor defensive clearance from a corner, scoring with a somewhat scrappy shot.
Rojo continued to be pivotal for Boca early in the second half, clearing Nicolas Fernandez’s goal-bound effort off the line. However, the visitors’ defence faltered in the 61st minute when Menossi equalised with a close-range header.
Zenon quickly restored Boca’s lead just a minute later, finishing smartly from an assist by Edison Cavani, while Palacios rounded off the scoring, slotting into an open goal 14 minutes before the final whistle.
“We are all set to play. Everyone must give their utmost. Today, it was my turn to return to the starting XI, and I aimed to perform to the best of my ability,” stated winger Zenon.
Belgrano finds themselves in 12th place with 14 points.
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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