It’s enough to sit for an afternoon in the Bombonera or the Cilindro and let yourself be carried away by the songs to understand it: Boca and Racing have their own classic, Yes, but it is clear that there is a special relationship between them, a rivalry that has grown in recent years and that returns in this Sunday’s semi-final in one of the games that arouses the most expectations.
For at least a decade, the conflicts between Xeneize and the Academy have been played on a positive note. This time, the teams of Claudio Ubeda and Gustavo Costas – teammates and then coaches and players in racing – will fight in a single game for a place in the Clausura final. But the spark doesn’t come from now. The turning point can be traced back to October 18, 2015. in Avellaneda a night that left its mark: Boca came to consecrate itself, lost 3 to 1, suffered two sendings off and was beaten in the end, although it was crowned a date later. Since then, a battle has developed that has made almost all subsequent games feel special.
Between February and April 2016 they played in one Hot trilogy: Firstly, Racing won 1-0 on the initiative of Roger Martínez and this defeat triggered the departure of Rodolfo Arruabarrena; Then, in the group stage of the Copa Libertadores, Guillermo Barros Schelotto’s debut resulted in a 0-0 draw at La Bombonera. and in return, Boca won 1-0 thanks to a painful goal from Nicolás Lodeirowhich took them to the round of 16 and left Racing on the brink of elimination, which was eventually accomplished on the final day.
In 2017 Academic revenge came: Racing went to the Bombonera and took a victory that hurt beyond the result. They won 2-1 with goals from Lautaro Martínez and Augusto Solari, ending Xeneize’s eight-game winning streak. In addition, the evening was marked by Darío Benedetto’s torn ligaments, an injury that left him virtually out of the World Cup.
Then other exciting games followed, like the one in October 2018: Racing had won 2-0 thanks to a brace from Lisandro López – both goals were offside – and the party seemed guaranteed. However, Boca equalized in the end with goals from Wanchope Ábila and Sebastián Villain an ending with a changed mood.
But the really decisive chapter came in 2020, in the quarter-finals of the Libertadores: Racing won the first leg in Avellaneda 1-0, Boca turned it around in the Bombonera (2-0)think a lot, and this blow ultimately led to the departure of Sebastián Beccacece.
There were other chapters: In the semi-finals of the 2021 League Cup, Racing beat Boca on penalties in San Juan. in a match that ended with Carlos Tevez missing his shotwhat his farewell with the Xeneize shirt would be. A year later they met again in the semi-finals, with an exciting preview: Enzo Copetti assured that Racing would be champions and Matías Rojas ironically hailed Boca for the “title”. Although the academy deserved more, Boca advanced on penalties on the Lanús field and was then consecrated. The Racing youth team’s transition to the Fernando Gago-led team sparked all sorts of reactions and quickly became a meme on the Boca side and a source of ridicule among fans.
The 2022 crossings were not without drama. In the championship they drew 0-0 in a heated game: pineapples at half-time between Benedetto and Carlos Zambrano and a penalty from Jonathan Gómez that went unpunished by Fernando Rapallini, now the AFA’s technical referee manager, who even ended the game without waiting for the VAR assessment. By the end of the tournament, both were neck and neck, but Racing fell to River when Jonathan Galván missed a penalty, and Boca ended up winning the title despite a draw at home to Independiente, a result that still causes wonder… and some confusion.
Then came the two trophies that Racing won against Boca in at least controversial circumstances.. First, the 2022 Champions Trophy in La Pedrera: Boca had arrived as champions of the two qualifying tournaments, the Professional League and the League Cup, but the LPF decided that Tigre – runners-up of the tournament – and Racing – of the cup – would play a tiebreaker against Xeneize. Racing reached the final and won 2-1 in extra time, with a goal from Carlos Alcaraz causing chaos. Yelling, pushing, sending off from all sides and an unusual finish in which Boca are out of players and the game ends automatically.
History repeated itself at the International Supercup in Abu Dhabi. It had been unofficially announced that the league champions (Boca) and the Argentine Cup winners (Patronato) would play, but the AFA backed down and named Racing the team with the most points in the season. After an hour, a penalty from Gonzalo Piovi after a handball from Agustín Sandez secured the Academy’s victory, another reason why the dispute continued to grow.
Eight months later, their paths crossed again in the Libertadores district. It was 0-0 on both pitches and Boca advanced on penalties, two blocks from Sergio Romerowhistled by the Racing fans, and the definition of Marcos Rojo, today a Racing player who will return directly against Boca after recovering from injury, albeit on the substitutes’ bench.
The last confrontations were also tough. In February, when Fernando Gago returned to Cilindro, Racing won 2 to 0 in a game marked by Gastón Martirena being several meters ahead in the play before the first goal and Boca demanding a penalty due to the hand of Juan Nardoni. “They are robbing us here,” Football Council member Raúl Cascini said at the time. The most recent was the 1-1 draw at the Bombonera, with Milton Giménez’s equalizer after the hour, on the afternoon when Boca reached 12 games without a win, the worst run in history.
This Sunday, Boca and Racing will define the first finalist of the Clausura and wait for the winner of the La Plata classic between Gimnasia and Estudiantes to enjoy a new title. An event with a lot at stake and whose recent history gives the appearance of an end, in a scenario where everyone will be watching.
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