Boca Juniors are edging ever closer to the Argentinean Superliga title after a last second winner threw a Jara of cold water over chasing pack’s hopes
When we look back in a couple of months, Round Nineteen might just be the weekend that Boca Juniors made sure of their title defence.
Less than a week after losing to Argentinos Juniors, added dropped points from the visit of Tigre to La Bombonera would have constituted as a major wobble and one which Boca’s title rivals would have been waiting to take advantage of.
Guillermo Barros Schelotto didn’t get a particularly impressive performance but Leonardo Jara sliding in a 95th minute winner could prove instrumental. A contentious penalty had given Boca the lead but when Matías Pérez Acuña equalized two minutes from time, it looked as though the leaders’ lead was being cut once more.
[fve]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVetMjqOnDo[/fve]
Jara, who had been considered by Jorge Sampaoli as an option at right-back, scoring with the last kick of the game maintains an eight-point advantage and Boca remain firm favourites.
San Lorenzo’s slim hopes of a challenge were all but extinguished after a 1-1 draw against Huracán in the clásico. It could have been worse for Los Cuervos but Nicolás Reniero’s late equaliser salvaged a point leaving San Lorenzo 13-points adrift.
Claudio Biaggio’s side knew that they needed a strong 2018 but after a poor summer of recruitment, one win in six has left them 13 points adrift.
#TNTSports | Gran salto de Reniero para conectar el centro de Blandi y poner el empate cuando Huracán comenzaba a festejar el triunfo
#Huracán ? #SanLorenzo pic.twitter.com/nJoxggZWAJ— TNT Sports LA (@TNTSportsLA) March 11, 2018
And so that leaves Talleres and Independiente as the only realistic challengers to Boca.
Talleres maintained their incredible form, coming from behind to score a late 3-1 win over Atlético Tucumán while Independiente battled to a hard fought 2-1 victory against Argentinos Juniors.
Boca still need to play both sides during the run-in; La T on an eight-game unbeaten run currently eight points behind and Independiente in third, eleven points off the leaders but with a game in-hand against San Lorenzo.
With a 1-0 win over Arsenal in Mendoza, Godoy Cruz climbed into the Copa Libertadores qualifying spots at the expense of Racing Club, whose five-match winning streak was brought to an end with a 1-1 draw away to Chacarita Juniors.
⚽ ¡Volvé a ver el gol de Lautaro Martínez a #Chacarita! pic.twitter.com/zGglnfKp5F
— Racing Sin Fronteras (@RCSinFronteras) March 11, 2018
Lautaro Martinez, rewarded with a spot in Jorge Sampaoli’s Argentina squad, was once again on target but couldn’t drag La Academia to a sixth consecutive Superliga victory.
River Plate ended their own run of form thanks to a last-gasp own goal that gifted Marcelo Gallardo’s under-fire team a 1-0 win against Patronato. Los Millonarios have been in dreadful form, this only a third win in sixteen, and while the performance was hardly an improvement, River were given a little boost ahead of Wednesday’s Supercopa against Boca Juniors in Mendoza.
https://twitter.com/GolesArgentina_/status/972887574397247488
And finally, Omar de Felippe made a winning start as Newell’s Old Boys manager with an impressive victory over San Martín. While the club’s problems run far deeper than something to be fixed with a new coach, La Lepra produced their best performance in a long time to run out deserved 2-0 winners.
