Alianza Lima (Peru) vs Boca (Argentina)
Alianza Lima reached the Copa Libertadores’ second phase thanks to a solid 3-1 home victory over Nacional (Paraguay) last Wednesday, winning 4-2 on aggregate. On Saturday, coach Néstor Gorosito chose to field most of his regular starters, but the team suffered a surprising 3-1 away defeat to Alianza Atletico, ending their three-game unbeaten streak across all competitions (two wins and one draw). As a result, El Intimo now have three points from the first two rounds of the Liga 1. However, they have won both of their home matches so far in 2025. All regular starters are available for Tuesday’s match. The most notable absence is Paolo Guerrero, who is recovering from an ankle injury.
Boca Juniors return to the Copa Libertadores after a one-year absence, aiming for their seventh title. They secured their spot by finishing fifth in the 2024 Liga Profesional annual standings. Last Friday, Fernando Gago’s team, with slight rotation, defeated Banfield 1-0 away. Thanks to that win —their second in a row— they climbed to sixth place in Group A of the Torneo Apertura, with 11 points from six matches. In fact, Boca lost just one of their last six away games (three wins and two draws). Luis Advincula must serve a one-match suspension after his red card against Cruzeiro in the second leg of the 2024 Copa Sudamericana round of 16. Edinson Cavani, Ander Herrera, Tomas Belmonte, and Marcos Rojo remain sidelined due to injury.
Boca in 2025 are as awful as they were last year and not having some important players should be a problem in this 1st leg. Of course they are the big favorites to advance and it’s difficult to imagine they won’t make it to the groups stage, but they should have a hard time winning at Peru against a big club like Alianza.