Boca Juniors avoided a costly slip with a 3-1 win over Deportivo Recoleta in the first leg of their 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana tie. The match was relocated to Huracán’s stadium after La Bombonera was deemed unplayable. Recoleta struck first, with Ríos putting the Paraguayan visitors ahead in the fifth minute. Their disciplined first-half display frustrated Boca, who struggled to create clear chances and looked at risk of another disappointing result.
The turning point came just before halftime, when Báez was sent off for a foul, leaving Recoleta with ten men. After the break, Sebastián Villa supplied two decisive assists: first for Ascacíbar, then for Delgado. Boca overturned the deficit and took control, while the dismissal shifted the balance of the contest.
Flores added a spectacular third goal with a long-range strike into the top corner around the hour mark. Recoleta’s task grew harder when Mosquera received a second yellow card in the 69th minute, reducing the visitors to nine players. Boca threatened to extend the lead, hitting the woodwork through Lozano and seeing a Merentiel goal ruled out for offside, but the first-leg score remained 3-1.
The result was the opening leg of a two-match CONMEBOL Sudamericana tie, not a domestic fixture. ESPN’s 2026 results listing records Boca’s 3-1 home win on 11 August, followed by a 4-0 victory away to Recoleta on 18 August. That gives Boca a 7-1 aggregate win. The return-leg result means the tie was ultimately decided by a wider margin than the first-leg score alone suggested.
The match highlighted how pitch conditions can affect major fixtures, echoing disruptions in Spanish football caused by extreme weather. Storms in southern Valencia prompted emergency responses in Alcoi and Villena (see how weather affected matches in Spain). For Boca, adapting to a change of venue formed part of its continental campaign; Recoleta’s two red cards also shaped the first-leg contest.
Stadium infrastructure and weather can influence scheduling and match conditions across South American football. In this tie, Boca converted its numerical advantage after the break and built a first-leg lead before completing the two-match series with a 4-0 win in the return. Recoleta’s early promise could not offset the dismissals or Boca’s scoring surge in the second leg.
