Instituto De Córdoba and Boca Juniors split the points in Cordoba, drawing 2-2 after a see-saw night in the Liga Profesional, Clausura. Defenders scored for the hosts, forwards answered for Boca. The shot quality and control numbers show why the draw made sense. Here is the match broken down with data from Sofascore.

How the 2-2 unfolded

Instituto struck first on 14 minutes when captain Fernando Alarcón guided in a set-piece chance for 1-0. Boca answered at 23 minutes through Enner Valencia, finishing a high-value look from a dead ball to level. The interval arrived at 1-1 after a tight, scrappy half where Instituto leaned on duels and restarts. Right after the break Instituto reclaimed the lead: Jonathan Galván reacted quickest from a corner on 48 minutes for 2-1. Boca made an enforced change at 55 minutes as Enner Valencia went off, and the substitute was about to matter.

Just a minute later, at 56 minutes, Miguel Merentiel equalized with a left-foot finish after Lautaro Blanco’s measured delivery from the left. That goal closed the scoring but not the intensity, with both teams trading fouls and yellow cards in the later stages. Boca lost Leandro Paredes to injury after he had entered, bringing on Santiago Ascacíbar on 71 minutes. Instituto introduced fresh legs up front yet could not fashion a winner. After four added minutes, the points were shared.

What the stats say

Boca dominated the ball 69% to 31% and completed 547 passes to Instituto’s 232, reflecting long spells of control. Expected goals stood at 1.72 for Boca and 0.72 for Instituto, yet shots on target favored the hosts 4-3. That’s partly explained by expected goals on target: Instituto led 1.65 to 1.54, pointing to better shot placement from fewer looks. Big chances were even at 2-2, and corners favored Instituto 4-2, underscoring how the hosts created from dead balls. Average team Sofascore Rating tilted toward Boca at 6.77 to 6.60.

Physically, Instituto made it a fight, winning 21 tackles to Boca’s 12 and amassing 26 clearances. Boca’s technical edge appeared in dribbles, completing 10 of 22 to the hosts’ 1 of 8 and winning 55% of total duels. The final third entries also leaned Boca’s way 55-32, while touches in the box read 17-13 for the visitors. Still, errors balanced things out: Instituto had one mistake leading to a goal, while Boca committed one error that led to a shot. Full match data and player breakdowns are on the Sofascore match page.

Instituto’s blueprint: set pieces, duels, and volume defending

The home side’s plan was clear: compress space, contest everything, and lean on restarts. Both goals came from dead-ball phases, with Alarcón’s early finish and Galván’s quick reaction off a corner on 48 minutes. Leonel Mosevich’s aerial work and deliveries mattered, including the flick that preceded Galván’s strike. Instituto were fierce in the challenge, recording 51 recoveries and 11 interceptions, plus that 21-12 edge in tackles. They accepted a foul count of 15 and four yellow cards as the tax for disrupting Boca’s rhythm.

In possession, Instituto were direct. Long balls landed at 52% and crosses at 26%, but the payoff came on restarts, where timing beat volume. They generated 12 shots to Boca’s 11 and slightly more on target, helped by shots outside the box (5-2) that tested angles Montero had to respect. The front three worked hard without a clinical edge from open play, but the back line added punch, as Alarcón and Galván both scored. In short, set plays and second balls kept Instituto in a match where territory and passing belonged to Boca.

Boca’s control and the left-side supply line

Boca owned the ball and the channels into the final third, with 55 entries and steady circulation through the back. Center-back Lautaro Di Lollo led with 97 passes at 93% accuracy and 107 touches, repeatedly stepping in to progress play. Williams Alarcón completed 84 of 91 passes and added two key passes, anchoring midfield distribution. Captain Lautaro Blanco provided the main creative outlet from the left, finishing with 10 crosses (three accurate), three key passes, and one assist. Boca also won the dribble battle 10 of 22 and drew four fouls in the final third, which helped tilt field position.

Changes mattered for the visitors. Merentiel replaced the injured Valencia at 55 minutes and immediately scored; later, Paredes exited hurt on 71 minutes, bringing Ascacíbar into the double pivot. Ángel Romero added 12 accurate passes and a key pass off the bench, keeping width on the right. Despite that control, Instituto’s defense forced more off-target attempts from Boca (seven) and absorbed waves with 26 clearances. The draw, then, felt like dominance by structure offset by home-side punch on restarts.

MVP: Miguel Merentiel’s instant impact

Subbed on at 55 minutes, Miguel Merentiel needed just one minute to change the scoreboard. The striker earned a Sofascore Rating of 7.3, the highest in the match, and his two-shot cameo included the equalizer from a Blanco cross. His expected goals tally read 0.64, underlining the quality of the chance he buried. He took only 10 touches and still swung the result’s balance, which tells its own story. He also won a duel and drew a foul, quietly adding needle in and around the box.

Context matters: Boca had the structure and service; Merentiel supplied the final touch. His movement to the near post on 56 minutes created separation and the left-foot finish slipped into the low left. The goal capped a left-flank pattern Boca had developed all night. That one action rewarded Boca’s territorial dominance and Blanco’s consistent delivery. In a match ruled by set pieces and control, the substitute provided the decisive bit of open-play execution.

Player of the Match

By Sofascore Rating, Miguel Merentiel topped the list at 7.3. Fans agreed: Merentiel led the poll with 534 votes out of 1067. Rating and crowd picked the same player.