Tue Feb 25 22:50:00 UTC 2025: ## Boca Juniors Faces Must-Win Libertadores Clash Amidst Storm Warnings and Pre-Match Taunts

**Buenos Aires, Argentina** – Boca Juniors faces a crucial Copa Libertadores match against Alianza Lima tonight, needing a victory to advance to the next round. The match kicks off at 8:30 PM local time (various times across the Americas – see broadcast details below). The atmosphere is already highly charged following a 1-0 defeat in the first leg and pre-match provocation from the Peruvian side.

Alianza Lima fueled the tension with a social media post depicting former Boca player Carlos Zambrano preparing meat with a knife, superimposed onto a Boca Juniors flag, accompanied by the phrases “All the meat on the grill” and “Tonight, no matter the cost”. This follows comments from Alianza Lima’s coach, Néstor Gorosito, who expressed concerns about officiating at La Bombonera stadium, dismissing its mystique, and Zambrano’s downplaying of Edinson Cavani’s return to the Boca lineup. Boca legend Jorge Chino Benítez countered Gorosito’s comments, expressing confidence in a Boca victory.

Fernando Gago’s Boca team will field Agustín Marchesín; Luis Advíncula, Rodrigo Battaglia, Marcos Rojo, Marcelo Saracchi; Ander Herrera, Milton Delgado, Kevin Zenón; Carlos Palacios; Edinson Cavani and Miguel Merentiel. Adding to the drama, the Argentinan Meteorological Service has issued a warning for isolated thunderstorms in Buenos Aires during the match, with temperatures ranging from 24°C to 29°C.

Under CONMEBOL regulations, a one-goal victory for Boca (1-0, 2-1, 3-2, etc.) will send the tie to penalties. This is the case for all previous rounds and also applies to the knockout stages up to the semi-finals; only the final will feature extra time.

The stakes are high for Boca, who haven’t won a knockout stage match in the Libertadores since December 2020. The return of Cavani, who has been sidelined due to injury, offers a boost to their chances.

**Broadcast Details:** Disney+, Telefé, and Fox Sports will broadcast the match at 8:30 PM in Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay; 7:30 PM in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Miami; and 6:30 PM in Mexico and Texas.

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