A goal in the last play of the match
Boca Juniors and Defensa y Justicia appeared headed for a goalless draw at La Bombonera on the final matchday of Zone A in the 2026 Clausura tournament. In the last minute of second-half stoppage time, Enner Valencia pounced on a mistake by goalkeeper Matías Borgogno and scored the only goal of the game. The 1-0 result gave Boca the win and first place in the annual table.[S3][S4]
The goal arrived at the night's most tense moment. Time was running out, Boca could not find a way through, and Defensa y Justicia's resistance, along with Borgogno's saves, fed the crowd's anxiety. The stadium went from impatience to celebration in seconds, and the final whistle triggered a massive party in the stands.[S4]
The annual table and Rosario Central
Boca needed a win to secure the top spot in the accumulated standings without depending on other results. Rosario Central had already beaten Estudiantes de Río Cuarto 2-0 and was waiting for the Xeneize to drop points in order to take the lead. Valencia's late goal changed the outcome of the race, and Boca finished one point ahead of the Canalla.[S4]
Valencia's place among his best goals
The Ecuadorian forward ranked the goal among the most important of his career. He said that, in the heat of the moment, it could be analyzed, but given the celebration that followed, he placed it among his first. He also recalled that he knew he was joining the best club in South America and that the demands would be as intense as what he is now experiencing, and he said that once he began living Boca's internal dynamics he prepared far more than he had imagined for moments like this.[S2][S3]
Valencia had already been decisive earlier in the year, scoring a hat-trick in the comeback against Racing in the Copa Argentina quarterfinals. He described the celebration with fans and players at La Bombonera as wonderful and said he would surely not forget it, adding that it would stay with him for life. He also said the title was a first step toward the many finals the team can still reach, and that the time had come to celebrate before thinking about what comes next.[S2][S3]
The striker, who came on as a substitute, revealed what coach Rodolfo Arruabarrena told him before he entered the pitch: to stay close to Miguel Merentiel. Valencia said that is what the team did, occupying the area, and that they knew a chance would eventually fall to them.[S2][S4]
