"Boca, my good friend, this campaign we will be with you again..." and the "Dale, dale, dale, dale, Bo..." chants echoed non-stop at the Hard Rock Stadium, renamed 'La Bombonera in Miami', where thousands of Boca Juniors fans took over the stands as if the match against Benfica was being held in Buenos Aires. The Argentinians took a 2-0 lead, but let it slip away despite playing most of the second half with one player more. Otamendi, a confessed River Plate supporter, silenced them in the final stretch.
Miguel Ángel Russo's first match in charge of the xeneize team after a series of failures that led to the dismissal of Fernando Gago gave way to one of the first surprises of this Club World Cup. An imposing, physical, and direct Boca side that dominated Benfica in the first 45 minutes. Ander Herrera didn't see it, injured in the 19th minute.
Merentiel, in the 21st minute, and Battaglia, in the 27th minute, sparked delirium in the Argentine section of the Hard Rock, incredulous at what they were witnessing. The first goal came from the forward after a great play by Lautaro Blanco on the left wing, including a nutmeg, and a good first-touch finish by the attacker.
The second goal, with Boca's momentum, was headed into the net by Battaglia after a second chance from a corner kick. And so Boca, in a group that includes Bayern Munich and Auckland City, took a giant step towards the round of 16.
Meanwhile, Benfica tried to recover. The Portuguese side, runners-up in the Portuguese league and eliminated by Barça in the Champions League round of 16, sought to build their team around Renato Sanches, Di María, and the goals of Pavlidis, but none of them were making an impact, and Boca's counterattacks were causing trouble. Not even Álvaro Carreras, a target for Real Madrid.
As the minutes passed, the Portuguese side reacted. Di María and the speedy Bruma started to get more involved, and Benfica pushed towards Marchesin's goal. The gap was narrowed just before halftime with a clear penalty on Otamendi by Carlos Palacios after a corner kick. The VAR alerted the referee, Mexican Cesar Arturo Ramos, who awarded the penalty after reviewing the footage. From the penalty spot, Di María made it 2-1 heading into halftime. The second half turned into a series of trench battles. A war turned into a final for the second spot in the group, acknowledging that Bayern is a step above both teams. Boca played with timing and emotions, engaging in gamesmanship by falling to the ground, provoking, and extending pauses as much as possible.
Benfica grew desperate at times and fell into the trap with a red card for Belotti for dangerous play, but they reacted again with one player less, forgetting the fights with the opponent and focusing on the game. From the bench, Bruno Lage assisted with the substitutions. Kokcu and Prestiniani supported possession, and Carreras started gaining ground on the left flank, reaching the byline and earning corner kicks.
One of them resulted in a fantastic header by Otamendi, a River Plate fan, to silence the xeneize fans. Boca let a victory slip away with a numerical advantage and ended up suffering after Figal was sent off for a reckless challenge on Florentino in a final stretch of physical play and altercations.
Benfica had a chance in stoppage time, but this Group C, if both teams win against Auckland City and lose against Bayern, will likely be decided by goal difference. An assured spectacle.