Rodolfo Arruabarrena’s second run as Boca coach begins tonight with a knockout match against Sarmiento, and the first sign of his new cycle is already fixed: the lineup. Boca will face Sarmiento at the Coloso Marcelo Bielsa in Rosario for the Copa Argentina round of 16, with kickoff scheduled for 21:45 and no room for a second leg or a reset.
The most visible change is Tomás Aranda, who was set to wear Boca’s number 10 and step into the team in place of Tomás Belmonte after Belmonte was ruled out with a sprained ankle. Around him, Arruabarrena kept a shape built to move the ball quickly and attack the spaces, with Santiago Ascacibar and Milton Delgado set to give balance in midfield, Alan Velasco and Leonel Flores wide on the wings, and Miguel Merentiel as the reference in front.
That matters because this is not a preseason test or a loose first look. Before the match, Arruabarrena had already defined his starting XI, which means his official debut was not being built on improvisation but on a choice made in advance. During pretemporada, Boca had tested different options and even played an amistoso ante Athlético Paranaense, but this game is the one that counts: a direct elimination tie where the next round depends on 90 minutos.
The twist is that the lineup did not stay untouched all the way to the start. Belmonte’s injury forced the change, and Aranda’s promotion gives the debut an immediate tactical edge that goes beyond a simple replacement. Whether the move was driven mostly by necessity or by Arruabarrena’s preference, Boca’s first official picture under him is already clear: one altered piece, the same attacking idea, and a coach judged from the first whistle.
For Boca, the task is simple and unforgiving. Beat Sarmiento in Rosario and the debut feels like a beginning; fail, and the first chapter of Arruabarrena’s second spell is defined by a single night at Newells’ stadium.
