Boca Juniors saw off São Paulo 1-0 in the Sudamericana quarter-finals on September 9th. The match, played at La Bombonera, produced a decisive moment in the second half that separated two evenly matched sides. Miguel Merentiel's goal proved to be the difference, though the game remained tight until the final whistle.
And here's the thing — it wasn't a match decided by dominance. Boca held 51 per cent possession but that barely tells the story. São Paulo created more chances from their limited opportunities, with a higher shot accuracy of 33 per cent to 18 per cent. The visitors were dangerous on the break, but couldn't convert.
Merentiel's 52nd-minute strike came at a crucial juncture. By then, both sides had tested each other without finding a breakthrough. The goal shifted the momentum, though São Paulo didn't fold immediately. They continued to press, looking for an equaliser that never materialised.
The turning point came with Domingos Duarte's red card in the 75th minute. He was joined on the pitch by Jonathan Calleri and Dorival Silvestre Júnior, both booked earlier. São Paulo were reduced to ten men and had to defend for the remaining 15 minutes.
Boca's statistics showed they created enough to justify their victory. Two big chances compared to São Paulo's one, and an expected goals figure of 1.05 against 0.47. Yet the margin was narrow — three shots on target for the visitors versus two for the hosts.
The result leaves São Paulo still top of their group with 12 points from six games, an unbeaten record intact. Boca meanwhile move closer to a semi-final place, though the tie isn't over. And to be fair, this was only one leg.
