Vélez Sarsfield vs Boca Juniors

Vélez Sarsfield and Boca Juniors meet in the Copa Argentina round of 16, a straight knockout with a quarterfinal berth against the Racing–Belgrano winner at stake. Vélez arrive near the top of the Clausura standings, while Boca sit mid-table domestically after an erratic run, making this tie a chance to build momentum. Vélez have been the Clausura's form side under Diego Valdés, whose free kicks and creativity have been key, alongside striker Braian Romero. Boca, meanwhile, have leaned on Santiago Ascacíbar's goals and Miguel Merentiel's finishing, with Álvaro Montero steady in goal, while also advancing to the Copa Sudamericana quarterfinals. The rivals have split this year's two league meetings — a 2-1 Vélez win and a 1-1 draw — and Vélez also won their last Copa Argentina clash, a thrilling 4-3 semifinal in 2024. With Vélez in ascendant form and Boca fighting to find rhythm across three competitions, this looks tight and cagey. Our prediction: 1-1