Boca Juniors Vs. Corinthians, 2012 Copa Libertadores Final: First Leg Ends In 1-1 Draw

Boca Juniors and Corinthians are tied at 0-0 through the first 45 minutes of the Copa Libertadores final as expected, but there’s been plenty of intrigue early in the match. Boca are attacking much more than anyone could have expected, while Corinthians made a surprising first-half tactical sub. The home side should also be down a man, but were let off easily by the referee.

Boca got off to a quick start, winning a free kick in the first minute, which resulted in Rolando Schiavi heading just over the bar 70 seconds in. Paulinho had the first big chance for Corinthians in the eighth minute with a great shot from 30 yards out. Agustín Orion was caught a bit off guard by the attempt and reacted a split-second late, but recovered well and made a fantastic save. Things settled down a bit after that, especially for Corinthians, as Boca began to control the game. They committed numbers forward and looked good in possession, but Corinthians have defended well and there haven’t been any clear chances.

Boca Juniors and Corinthians’ best teams are rested and ready to go for Wednesday’s first leg of the 2012 Copa Libertadores final. Juan Román Riquelme starts in the hole for Boca after sitting out over the weekend. He’ll have tough competition with Corinthians’ tough central midfield pair of Ralf and Paulinho. If Boca is going to score from open play, it will probably come from Riquelme, and he’s going to struggle to find the ball against those two.

Boca Juniors Lineup (4-3-1-2): Agustín Orión; Clemente Rodríguez, Matías Caruzzo, Facundo Roncaglia, Rolando Schiavi; Walter Erviti, Pablo Ledesma, Leandro Somoza; Juan Román Riquelme; Pablo Mouche, Santiago Silva