Boca Juniors snatch aggregate lead with last-gasp win to deny Rosario Central

Boca Juniors moved to the top of the Argentine league’s aggregate table in the final seconds of the closing round of the Clausura phase, after a 96th-minute winner from Enner Valencia denied Rosario Central the chance to retain the title for a second consecutive year.

Boca Juniors, Argentinos Juniors and Rosario Central all began the final round with the same objective: win their matches and hope their rivals dropped points in the race for first place in the aggregate standings.

That table combines results from the Apertura and Clausura phases and awards an additional title to the team that collects the most points across both competitions.

Before the final round, Boca Juniors and Argentinos Juniors were level on 60 points, while Rosario Central had 59. Argentinos Juniors’ hopes ended when they were beaten 2-0 by Huracan, leaving Boca Juniors and Rosario Central as the only remaining contenders.

Rosario Central appeared to have done enough to secure the decisive advantage. They were 2-0 ahead, while Boca Juniors were trailing 1-0, and their opponents’ match was nearing its conclusion at 0-0.

The situation led Rosario Central’s players and supporters to begin celebrating inside the stadium. The club seemed set to remain at the top of the aggregate table for a second successive season, particularly as Boca Juniors struggled to find a late equaliser.

However, the outcome changed dramatically in stoppage time. Valencia scored for Boca Juniors in the 96th minute, completing the turnaround in the race for first place and lifting his side to the summit.

Boca Juniors finished one point ahead of Rosario Central in the aggregate standings, while Argentinos Juniors were eliminated from contention after their defeat by Huracan.

The fight for the Argentine league title now continues with the start of the Clausura play-offs, which will determine the winner of the phase. The competition’s structure awards multiple titles during the season, making the battle for domestic honours in Argentina particularly complex.

Omar Mokhtar is part of Rodolfo Arruabarrena’s Boca Juniors coaching staff as a performance analyst.