Boca Juniors handled business at Alberto Jose Armando with a sharp 3-1 win over Central Córdoba in Liga Profesional, Clausura Round 9. Two early goals set the tone, a third after the break settled nerves, and a late reply only trimmed the margin. The numbers back the story: Boca were cleaner in both boxes and more precise with the final action. For all the away side’s volume, the hosts turned chances into goals with minimal fuss. Full breakdowns, advanced metrics and every player’s Sofascore Rating are on the full match page on Sofascore.

Key moments and how the game unfolded

Boca struck in the 5th minute when Ángel Romero finished from close range after Enner Valencia’s touch kept the attack alive. Six minutes later it was 2-0, Dylan Gorosito swinging in a fine cross for Valencia to bury with a high-percentage finish. Central Córdoba pushed back with territory and crosses but still went to the break two down.

The second half brought a brief stalemate until minute 56, when Carlos Palacios slid a pass for Romero to make it 3-0. The visitors kept knocking and finally got their goal in the 90th, as Martín Cuitiño converted Fernando Martínez’s assist. By then, Boca had done the heavy lifting. The home side managed the clock and duels well, even as substitutions took pace out of the contest.

What the numbers say

Central Córdoba out-shot Boca 15 to 9, but the quality split was decisive. Boca put 6 shots on target to the visitors’ 1, aligned with a 1.74 to 1.06 xG edge and an even wider 2.03 to 0.91 gap in expected goals on target. The away side wasted looks, with 10 shots off target and 4 blocked, while the hosts missed the target just twice.

Crossing and errors told a parallel tale. Boca completed 4 of 6 crosses, Central Córdoba 5 of 21. The visitors committed two errors leading to shots, while Boca had none. Goalkeeping metrics reflect it too: Alan Aguerre posted -0.97 goals prevented, while Leandro Brey was near level at -0.09. Even with fewer corners (2 to 6) and fewer final-third entries (43 to 62), Boca’s sharper execution carried them home.

Boca Juniors’ setup and standouts

Rodolfo Arruabarrena’s 4-2-3-1 leaned on calm distribution and wide thrusts. Williams Alarcón was a metronome in midfield with 76 of 81 passes completed and 8 of 10 accurate long balls, while Tomás Belmonte added bite and control before making way. Carlos Palacios stitched transitions together, finishing with an assist and 50 of 60 passes completed. On the left, Lautaro Blanco delivered two accurate crosses in a tidy 67 minutes.

At the back, Nicolás Figal and Marco Pellegrino combined for 146 completed passes and 10 defensive actions between them, keeping danger largely at arm’s length. Gorosito had a busy night at right back: 3 of 4 tackles won and a pinpoint assist for 2-0. Boca won the tackles count 21 to 15 and the interceptions battle 11 to 6, a platform for an average team Sofascore Rating of 6.99 against 6.55 for the visitors. All this came with a long injury list, yet the structure and efficiency never wavered.

Central Córdoba’s response and missed chances

The visitors saw plenty of the ball in dangerous zones, logging 62 final-third entries and more touches in the box (17 to 12). Matías Vera kept moves flowing with 56 of 60 passes completed and a key pass. Fernando Martínez was a force down the flank, producing 2 key passes, 3 of 3 tackles won and the assist for Cuitiño’s goal. The issue was end product: Marco Iacobellis had 6 attempts but none on target, and Lucas Varaldo fired wide twice late on.

Even with more corners and a mild edge in overall duels, Central Córdoba couldn’t turn volume into threat. Their 24 percent cross accuracy (5 of 21) blunted promising positions. Two defensive errors leading to shots compounded the problem, while Boca kept it clean in that column. There was spirit in the finish, punctuated by Cuitiño’s 90th-minute strike, but the gap built in the opening 11 minutes proved too much.

MVP spotlight: Ángel Romero

Ángel Romero delivered the defining moments and earned an 8.6 Sofascore Rating, the highest on the pitch. He scored twice from two shots on target, showing composure for the opener and smart movement for the third. Beyond the goals, Romero connected play well with 23 accurate passes from 28 and chipped in a key pass. With 39 touches and 12 ball carries, he balanced efficiency with just enough invention in the final third.

His expected goals total was modest at 0.16, which underlines the finishing quality relative to chance value, while his expected goals on target sat at 0.96. It was an expert reading of space and timing rather than sheer volume. Around him, Enner Valencia posted a strong 7.6 with a goal and an assist, and Palacios (7.4) and Alarcón (7.4) controlled the rhythm. Romero, though, supplied the moments that shape a match report.

Player of the Match

By Sofascore Rating, the best player was Ángel Romero with an 8.6. The fans agreed: Romero topped the vote with 844 of 1131 total votes. In this one, the ratings and the crowd chose the same player.