Boca Juniors beats Athletico Paranaense 1-0 in Salta friendly
On July 8, 2026, Boca Juniors traveled to the Padre Ernesto Martearena stadium in Salta, Argentina, for a pre‑season ‘Desafío de Invierno’ friendly against Brazil’s Athletico Paranaense. The match ended 1‑0 to Boca, with a long‑range strike from left‑back Lautaro Blanco at the 27‑minute mark securing the only goal.
The game marked the debut of Boca’s new head coach Rodolfo “Vasco” Arruabarrena in his second cycle, giving him an early assessment of his squad ahead of the upcoming Copa Argentina and the second half of the domestic season. Boca’s lineup featured several newcomers, including Leandro Lozano and Leonel Flores, while Athletico Paranaense were reduced to ten men after goalkeeper Santos was sent off for a violent kick on Flores.
The friendly was broadcast live on ESPN and the Disney+ streaming service. Both sides used the fixture to rotate players, evaluate recent signings, and fine‑tune tactics, with Boca emphasizing defensive organization and pressing, and Athletico focusing on maintaining possession despite the challenging pitch conditions.