Boca Juniors defeated Estudiantes de La Plata 2-1 in matchday 14 of the 2025 Torneo Clausura, played in La Plata. Goals from Exequiel Zeballos and Miguel Merentiel from the penalty spot secured the win for the Xeneize, bringing them closer to qualification for the 2026 Copa Libertadores. Edwuin Cetré had temporarily equalized for the Pincha.
The match, played on November 2, 2025, at 4:00 PM at the UNO Stadium in La Plata, was broadcast on TNT Sports. Boca, coached by Claudio Úbeda, lined up with Agustín Marchesín; Juan Barinaga, Lautaro Di Lollo, Ayrton Costa, Lautaro Blanco; Milton Delgado, Tomás Belmonte, Carlos Palacios, Exequiel Zeballos; Miguel Merentiel and Milton Giménez. Estudiantes, under Eduardo Domínguez, fielded Fernando Muslera; Román Gómez, Santiago Núñez, Facundo Rodríguez, Santiago Arzamendia; Mikel Amondarain, Santiago Ascacibar, Cristian Medina, Edwuin Cetré; Tiago Palacios and Guido Carrillo.
In the first half, Estudiantes started dominantly with early chances, including a shot on the crossbar by Tiago Palacios in the 1st minute of the second half, but the score remained 0-0 until halftime. At the 47th minute of the first half, Zeballos won a penalty for a clear hold in the box, but his 49th-minute shot hit the post, missing the chance.
The second half kicked off with immediate action: at the 4th minute, Zeballos opened the scoring 1-0 with a left-footed cross shot after a through ball from Milton Giménez, redeeming his earlier miss. Estudiantes equalized at the 14th minute when referee Rey Hilfer awarded a penalty for Marchesín's foul on Medina, and Edwuin Cetré converted it to make it 1-1.
Boca made substitutions at the 22nd minute of the second half, bringing on Ander Herrera and Malcom Braida for Carlos Palacios and Milton Giménez. At the 42nd minute, Estudiantes' midfielder Neves was sent off for a hard foul on Herrera after a VAR review. In the 48th minute, Boca earned another penalty on a counter after a corner, when Herrera was fouled in the box. Miguel Merentiel scored it at the 52nd minute for the decisive 2-1.
With this win, Boca leads Zona A of the Torneo Clausura and pulls five points ahead of Argentinos Juniors in the annual table, inching closer to qualification for the 2026 Copa Libertadores. The team was without Edinson Cavani, sidelined by a psoas injury, and Leandro Paredes, suspended for five yellows.