Estudiantes secured their spot in the Argentine League Cup final by defeating Boca Juniors on penalties after a 1-1 draw. Held at the Mario Alberto Kempes stadium in Córdoba, Estudiantes mounted a second-half comeback to force the shootout.
Boca Juniors, who recently eliminated their rivals River Plate in the quarterfinals, took the lead in the 40th minute of the first half when Advíncula delivered a cross from the right, which Merentiel successfully converted into a goal.
¿Cómo se festeja el pase a una final? Metele Matías Mansilla? daleee 🔥🙌🏼⚽
¡Felicitaciones, @edelpoficial!#CopaSurFinanzas 2024 🏆 pic.twitter.com/IxDHzH5naT
— Liga Profesional de Fútbol (@LigaAFA) May 1, 2024
But in the second half, Estudiantes, who will play Grêmio in the Copa Libertadores, rallied. The turning point came in the 26th minute, when Lema attempted to deflect a cross but inadvertently kicked Palacios in the face. The referee awarded a penalty to Estudiantes and sent off Lema with a second yellow card. Cetré stepped up to take the penalty and calmly leveled the score at 1-1.
In the penalty shootout, Boca Juniors’ Cavani, Merentiel, and Figal all failed to convert their attempts. For Estudiantes, only Cetré missed his shot, while Méndez successfully scored the decisive penalty to secure Estudiantes’ place in the final.
The Estadio nico in Santiago del Estero will host the Argentine League Cup final on Sunday. Both Estudiantes, the current Argentine Cup champions, and Vélez Sarsfield will be vying for their first-ever League Cup title. Introduced in 2020 and serving as the country’s primary national tournament in the first half of the year, the winner of this prestigious competition will also earn a coveted spot in the 2025 Copa Libertadores.
This unexpected final matchup promises to be an exciting encounter between two talented teams eager to etch their names in Argentine football history. Fans across the country will be eagerly awaiting the outcome of this highly anticipated clash.
