After some tough moments in April, Boca Juniors have performed when it matters most in May, winning the Copa de la Liga Profesional and finishing top of their Copa Libertadores group. Dropping points from winning positions in the league and 2-0 losses away at Deportivo Cali and Corinthians in the Copa Libertadores left work to be done. But Boca overcame the pressure, defeating Defensa y Justicia and Racing Club on penalties before beating Tigre in the Copa de la Liga Profesional final. Requiring a win in the last group stage game to progress into the knockout stages of the Copa Libertadores, Boca Juniors beat Deportivo Cali at La Bombonera in a tense affair.
In this tactical analysis in the form of a team scout report, we will discuss Sebastián Battaglia’s tactics that have guided Boca Juniors to domestic success and continental progression.
In possession
With goalkeeper Agustín Rossi ranking 29th out of all Liga Profesional goalkeepers for long passing accuracy, Boca Juniors prefer to play short in their build-up. Often playing to the centre backs, Boca sometimes have an asymmetric or rather narrow defensive line with wingers or central midfielders providing width near the halfway line. In this situation, the initially narrow full-backs are passing options that can access the wide areas. With central midfielders occupying more advanced spaces and Alan Varela consistently occupying the pivot space, the central midfielders are able to drop away from their markers to receive off the centre backs on either side of Varela to provide a route of progression.
Central midfielders dropping to receive is also a common strategy from Boca Juniors in consolidated possession to enter the penetration phase of possession. This strategy is best executed with Óscar Romero dropping into the left half-space and playing a ball in behind for winger Sebastián Villa to utilise his dynamic superiority. Left-back Frank Fabra is very positive and forward-thinking in possession but only occasionally receives these passes from Romero, instead choosing his moments to advance into the final third and offer overlapping runs. On the other hand, right back Luis Advíncula regularly surges into the forward line as the right-sided width holder, allowing winger Eduardo Salvio to invert.
Against Corinthians’ high-line in the Copa Libertadores, Boca Juniors attempted these direct passes into the final third significantly more frequently. Averaging 53.21 passes into the final third this season, Boca Juniors attempted 83 in their dominant performance against Corinthians. This was aided by Battaglia’s tactical switch of dropping Guillermo Fernández to receive in the pivot space and shifting Varela to a right central midfielder.
