Racing qualified on Sunday (7) for the final of the Clausura (the Argentine Championship of the second half) by beating Boca Juniors 1-0 away, a result which sealed another titleless season for the Xeneize team and, as a bonus, left River Plate without Copa Libertadores in 2026.
Adrián Maravilla Martínez (75′), who had gone ten games without scoring, ended his drought at the Bombonera and scored the only goal of the match to once again become the hero of Racing, who found their way back and will seek to become champion next weekend.
In the final, which will be played in Santiago del Estero, Racing will face the winner of the La Plata classic between Gimnasia y Esgrima and Estudiantes, which will take place this Monday (8).
Emotions were not there in the first half, with a slow and controversial development, in which Racing moved closer in defense, cautiously, waiting for Boca to venture into the attack and find spaces.
The home team tried their luck with sporadic actions from the Chilean Palacios and then relied on the speed and skill of “Changuito” Zeballos, who excited the crowd with some moves, but without being able to turn them into a goal.
Racing had the best chance of the first half in the 41st minute, with Ignacio Nardoni’s right-footed cross shot scraping the base of the right post.
For Boca, Milton Giménez almost scored on an individual play, but the shot was weak.
A mouth that doesn’t respond
The game changed in the second half. Racing tightens the marking and takes control of the midfield, advancing towards the Boca area.
Boca Juniors, out of ideas, tried to attack on dead balls, a weapon that had served them well on the way to the semi-finals, but, around 30 minutes into the second half, Racing found the decisive goal.
Former Boca Juniors player Agustín Almendra made a precise pass to Rojas, who found space on the left wing, crossed into the box and “Maravilla” Martínez jumped higher than Ayrton Costa to beat Marchesín with a powerful header into the back of the net.
“The goal is a circumstance,” said Adrián Martínez, who celebrated his first goal in 965 minutes.
“I’m happy. They’ve won a lot of consecutive games at home, they’ve been unbeatable, but with faith… God prepares you, models you for when things don’t go the way you want. I’m ready to score in every game, but sometimes it doesn’t depend on me,” added the Racing striker.
To turn the situation around, coach Claudio Ubeda unexpectedly decided to replace Zeballos, who had been one of the few effective options in attack, and left Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani on the bench.
Boca Juniors’ six-game winning streak was interrupted by a home defeat, an average performance in which the blue and gold team once again demonstrated their limitations, with a lack of options in the squad and a lack of reaction when at a disadvantage.
Another blank year
This accident marked the end of the season for Boca, who had the consolation of qualifying for the next Copa Libertadores.
Without winning the national title, Boca Juniors at least managed to deny their arch-rival River Plate the chance to qualify for the Libertadores, a tournament from which they had not been excluded for 12 years. River Plate will participate in the Copa Sudamericana 2026.
Boca Juniors, in turn, is about to end three seasons without a single title, since winning the Argentine Super Cup, in March 2023. In 2025, it failed to reach the group stage of the Copa Libertadores and was eliminated in the first phase of the Club World Cup.
Racing, on the other hand, have made a remarkable recovery after being knocked out by champions Flamengo in the Copa Libertadores semi-finals, and are seeking their first title in six years, since winning the Argentine Superliga in the 2018/19 season.
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