After the victory against
Platense
at
La Bombonera , showing perhaps his best version in 2023 in the second 45 minutes,
Boca
's week
will be marked by the returns of
Darío Benedetto
and
Sebatián Villa
, who will be available to visit
Vélez
in Liniers for the fifth day of the
Professional League
.
And it will be
Hugo Ibarra
who must shape an eleven that resembles the one that beat Martín Palermo's men or change their surnames again for this start of the competition.
Miguel Merentiel
's goal
, which included a crazy celebration with a header against the acrylic in the audience, meant
the first goal by a Boca center forward since October
.
Just on the date prior to the possibility that Ibarra will have of having Benedetto again, the striker who was sanctioned for four dates for his gestures to the referee of the match against Racing in the final of the Champions Trophy.
And although he was training every day with the team -he even played the International Superfinal in Abu Dhabi- now he will have to compete again for the points.
As a starter or waiting for his chance?
Behind the scenes, everyone agrees that
Pipa is the most senior striker on the team
.
And that his return is necessary for Boca preparing the final of the
Argentine Super Cup
against
Patronato
(1/3 in Santiago del Estero).
But the internal competition with Merentiel -much more than the one he has with Orsini- can return him to the best version, the one that appeared little by little during 2022 despite the fact that he was the player with the most goals in the year.
In addition to Benedetto and Merentiel, the squad also has Luis Vázquez and Gonzalo Morales, so Ibarra will have to manage minutes from now on in a place where there only seems to be room for one last name.
And the double 9?
For now he is only on file for a specific moment in the game, despite the fact that the former Palmeiras did very well together with Bou in his time at Defense and Justice.
"Miguel gives us attack alternatives, I can play with two strikers or three depending on the situation. We have options in all lines to form differently," Ibarra told a press conference.
Benedetto is to return.
(Photo: Boca Press).
"I like things to complicate me. That's the players' job, then it's up to me to solve it and put the best on the field. It has to be like that, competition is generated in this way and it's what we all want to achieve ", raised the DT, anticipating a week in which this situation will be discussed.
But Benedetto will not only be the debate.
Because once again Boca
was able to win without Sebastián Villa in attack
.
And apart from Luca Langoni (with a goal against Talleres and imbalance for Merentiel's goal against Platense) and Norberto Briasco (he scored again), the offensive alternatives today seem to have only one place for a winger.
And the Colombian, despite the fact that his level is still not the best, always ends up prevailing.
There will be homework for the technician during the week.
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