Boca Juniors has settled on a lineup for Boca Juniors Vs Talleres, and the biggest name in it is Rodrigo Battaglia. The midfielder is back after ten months of recovery and will start Friday at 21:30 at La Bombonera, one of four changes from the team that played on Tuesday.
The return matters because Battaglia’s absence began during the Clausura 2025, when he was injured against Racing, and the wait has stretched long enough to make his inclusion a real event rather than a routine selection. Boca Juniors can also move to the top alone in the general table if it beats Talleres, so the match is not just about rotation or recovery; it is an important chance to take control domestically while the calendar tightens around a Continental obligation.
That obligation comes fast. On Tuesday, Boca Juniors visits Vasco da Gama for the semifinal second leg of the Copa Sudamericana, and it still has to erase a 0-1 deficit from the first leg. The club has chosen not to treat Friday as a secondary stop on the way there. Ayrton Costa comes in for Herrera, Battaglia replaces Alarcón, Ángel Romero takes Palacios’ place, and Miguel Merentiel enters for Valencia, a set of changes that keeps several starters in the frame even with the trip ahead.
That is the friction in the week: a strong lineup for Talleres now, and a much harder task waiting in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday. If Boca Juniors gets the result it wants on Friday, it can leave La Bombonera with the standings narrowed at the top and Battaglia’s return made visible in a match that carries more weight than a simple league date.
