Boca Juniors hosted Huracán at La Bombonera on Saturday night in the Torneo Apertura round of 16, with kickoff set for 19.00hs and live coverage available on TNT Sports Premium. It was an elimination match between two sides that reached the knockout stage on different paths, and it came with Boca still unbeaten at home this season.
Boca entered with a 12-game unbeaten run in the local tournament and finished second in Zone A with 30 points. Huracán ended seventh in Zone B with 22 points, arriving after a 0-0 draw with Racing and without a win in its recent matches. The matchup carried extra weight because Boca and Huracán were meeting in an elimination game for the first time in 12 years.
Leandro Brey started in goal for Boca, while Javier García was on the bench. On the other side, Diego Martínez directed Huracán from the touchline, with Hernán Galíndez and Jordy Caicedo named in the visiting lineup. Martínez had coached Boca during 2024, a detail that added a sharper edge to a game already shaped by the bracket and the form table.
The contest was part of the first four round-of-16 games in the Torneo Apertura, but Boca arrived carrying a heavier workload than its opponent. The club had just lost to Barcelona of Ecuador in the Copa Libertadores, and the demands were clear: win everything from there to stay on track for first place in the continental group and to chase the local title. Huracán, by contrast, came in with more rest because it was not involved in international competition.
That is what made the night matter beyond the standings. Boca was trying to protect its perfect record at La Bombonera and keep its season moving in two competitions at once, while Huracán was looking for a knockout result against a team it knew well and a former coach who, as one team source put it, dreamed of eliminating the club he led in 2024. The margin for error was already gone.
