Boca Juniors stun Vasco da Gama at the Maracaná to reach the Copa Sudamericana final

Boca Juniors pulled off a historic comeback at the Maracaná, beating Vasco da Gama 3-1 to secure a place in the Copa Sudamericana final. The Argentine side had not won at the iconic venue since 1998, and they arrived needing to overturn a 1-0 first-leg defeat. Leandro Paredes, who started on the bench due to a recent injury, came on to score the late goal that sealed the series.

• Boca Juniors defeated Vasco da Gama 3-1 at the Maracaná to reach the Copa Sudamericana final.
• Leandro Paredes played despite a muscle tear suffered eleven days earlier and scored the winning goal.
• Lautaro Di Lollo and Miguel Merentiel gave Boca a two-goal lead in a dominant first half.
• Boca will face Atlético Mineiro or Montevideo City Torque in the final on November 21 in Barranquilla.

Paredes goes from injury to the goal that put Boca in the final

Leandro Paredes arrived at the match after an accelerated recovery from a muscle tear suffered eleven days earlier. That injury had kept him out of the 1-0 home loss to Vasco da Gama in the first leg. The World Cup winner pushed to be available and started on the bench. His introduction in the second half proved decisive: a powerful shot from outside the box beat goalkeeper Léo Jardim in the 88th minute to make it 3-1 and confirm qualification.

I hugged El Vasco because these days have been very difficult. We both wanted me to play this match, but we also knew it was too risky. That's why we decided to start from the bench. And luckily everything worked out very well.

The embrace between Paredes and coach Rodolfo Arruabarrena captured the tension behind the decision to manage his minutes. The captain explained with emotion after the match that both agreed to hold him back for the second half, a gamble that ended with a perfect payoff.

A commanding first half turned the series around in 34 minutes

Boca backed up the feat with an outstanding team performance, especially before the break. Without Paredes, the side showed intensity, personality and efficiency to flip the 1-0 first-leg deficit within 34 minutes. Lautaro Di Lollo headed in from a corner to open the scoring, and Miguel Merentiel finished off a counterattack with a composed strike after a precise long ball from Sebastián Villa.

Arruabarrena's team controlled midfield through Rodrigo Battaglia, Milton Delgado and Santiago Ascacibar, while Villa and youngster Leonel Flores caused constant problems on the flanks. Vasco da Gama lacked attacking depth in that opening half, and the 2-0 scoreline put Boca in position to advance. It was arguably the most complete display of the Arruabarrena era so far.

Vasco da Gama pulls one back, but Boca respond at the Maracaná

In the second half, Vasco da Gama raised the intensity, pressed higher and got back into the tie through a goal from Uruguayan José Luis Rodríguez. That strike put the series on the verge of a penalty shootout and set off alarms in the Argentine camp. Paredes, brought on to steady the midfield, ended up delivering far more than tactical balance: his long-range effort with two minutes left took a slight deflection and beat the weak attempt from the Brazilian goalkeeper.

With the 3-1 lead restored for good, Boca shook off the scare and booked a spot in the final. The title match is set for Saturday, November 21 in Barranquilla, where the opponent will come from the other semifinal between Atlético Mineiro and Montevideo City Torque.

Riquelme's project still alive on four fronts

Boca's current form goes beyond reaching the Copa Sudamericana final. The team built under Juan Román Riquelme's leadership is also a semifinalist in the Copa Argentina, joint leader of the Torneo Anual with Argentinos Juniors and a strong candidate in the Torneo Clausura. They are the only Argentine club still genuinely competing for all four titles at this stage of the season.

That competitiveness leans on a core of homegrown players in key roles. Milton Delgado, 21, has established himself in central midfield. Defenders Lautaro Di Lollo (22) and Jagger Herrera (20) anchor the back line. Nineteen-year-old Leonel Flores adds flair in attack, while playmaker Tomás Aranda, also 19, is recovering from a serious injury. Alongside them, Paredes stands as the flag bearer and reference point for a generation that has the Xeneize faithful dreaming again.