BUENOS AIRES (Interstat) — Boca Juniors overcame an early deficit and beat Talleres Cordoba 2-1 at Complejo Casa Amarilla Pedro Pompilio, using goals from Miguel Merentiel and Leonel Flores to secure the home result. Talleres struck first through A. Galarza M., but Boca answered before halftime and then took the lead early in the second half. The win moved Boca Juniors to 2 wins, 0 losses and 1 draw in this competition and 3 wins, 1 loss and 1 draw across all competitions. Talleres Cordoba fell to 0 wins, 3 losses and 1 draw in this competition and 0 wins, 3 losses and 1 draw across all competitions.

Talleres opened the scoring in the 11th minute when Galarza found the net, giving the visitors the earliest advantage. Galarza played the full 90 minutes and finished with one goal. The lead held until the 18th minute, when Boca Juniors equalized through Merentiel. Merentiel was on the field for 77 minutes and recorded one goal before being substituted in the 77th minute. Boca continued to press and found the decisive goal in the 49th minute, when Flores scored. Flores played 86 minutes and had one goal before leaving in the 86th minute. Lautaro Blanco provided an assist while playing the full 90 minutes, and Milton Delgado also had an assist while playing the full 90 minutes and receiving a yellow card. Galarza M. finished with one goal in 90 minutes for Talleres, while Merentiel had one goal in 77 minutes and Flores had one goal in 86 minutes. Blanco had one assist in 90 minutes, Rick had one assist in 53 minutes and Delgado had one assist and a yellow card in 90 minutes.

Boca’s response changed the match after the early setback, and the home side carried a 2-1 lead into the closing stages. Delgado was booked in the 34th minute, and Talleres’ Valoyes D. received a yellow card in the 55th minute. Rick recorded an assist for Talleres while playing 53 minutes before being substituted. Boca Juniors made a substitution at halftime involving Lozano L., then used substitutions involving Angel Romero in the 72nd minute, Merentiel in the 77th minute and Flores in the 86th minute. Talleres Cordoba made substitutions involving Baroni G. and Rick in the 53rd minute, Fattori F. in the 59th minute, and Depietri V. and Schott A. in the 79th minute. Boca’s defense held firm after Flores’ goal, and the home side closed out the win. Talleres Cordoba could not find an equalizer after the substitutions, and Boca Juniors protected the one-goal lead over the final minutes.

The result gave Boca Juniors another home victory and kept Talleres Cordoba without a win in the competition. Boca’s record in the competition now stands at 2 wins, 0 losses and 1 draw, while its overall record is 3 wins, 1 loss and 1 draw. Talleres is 0 wins, 3 losses and 1 draw in the competition and 0 wins, 3 losses and 1 draw across all competitions. Talleres had entered after a scoreless draw with Independiente and a 1-0 loss to Belgrano. Boca had lost 1-0 to Vasco, drawn 2-2 with Instituto, beaten Union de Santa Fe 3-0 and beaten Racing Club 3-2 in its previous matches. The match at Complejo Casa Amarilla Pedro Pompilio was decided by Boca’s response to Galarza’s early goal and Flores’ finish shortly after halftime.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Boca Juniors 1, Talleres Cordoba 1. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Boca Juniors with a 85.8 percent probability to win. Boca Juniors had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -1. The total score of 3 went under the over/under line of 2.5.