São Paulo and Boca Juniors played out a 1:1 draw in the Sudamericana quarter-finals at Morumbi on Tuesday evening. The result leaves both sides with a leg to play and keeps the tie firmly in their own hands. São Paulo had dominated possession but could only salvage a point after Domingos Duarte struck deep in stoppage time.
Leandro Lozano gave Boca the lead with a goal in the sixtieth minute. By then São Paulo had controlled the tempo but struggled to carve open a defence that grew comfortable with their shape. The hosts responded with pressure and brought on several players in the sixty-fourth minute, but it was only in the eighty-ninth that Duarte found the equaliser.
There were plenty of changes across the second half. São Paulo made three substitutions in quick succession before half-time and added Danielzinho just before the break. Boca brought on Milton Delgado and Leonel Benjamín Flores in the seventy-seventh minute, then brought on Miguel Merentiel in the eighty-fifth. The game saw yellow cards for Djhordney Ferreira, Dorival Silvestre Júnior, Ángel Romero and Artur Victor Guimarães.
The statistics tell a familiar story. São Paulo held 64 per cent possession and registered five shots on target against one, yet their expected goals figure of 0.88 did not translate into more than a single strike. Boca made fewer attacks but cleared their lines 31 times and their goalkeeper made four saves. There is no value left at that number when you have chances but cannot finish them.
Both teams remain level on aggregate with the return fixture still to come. São Paulo sit top of the Sudamericana group with twelve points from six games, three wins and three draws. Boca have now avoided defeat in three consecutive meetings between the sides, having won 1:0 in their previous encounter earlier this month.
