December 14, (THEWILL) – Boca Juniors beat Barcelona via penalties (4-2) to win the maiden edition of the Maradona Cup.
The match was played on Tuesday at the King Saud University Stadium, Saudi Arabia.
The match ended 1-1 after Ferran Jutgla gave Barcelona the lead on the 52nd minute, before Boca equalised on the 77th minute through Exequiel Zeballos.
The fixture was organised as a tribute to Diego Maradona, the renowned Argentine footballer, who died last year. In 1982, Maradona moved to Barcelona from Boca Juniors, only to return to La Bombonera in 1995 to end his football career.
For Xavi Hernandez, it was another defeat in a difficult season since he arrived at Camp Nou to take charge of the club where he attained cult-like status in his football-playing days.
Last week, they were eliminated from the Champions League after placing third in their group, and they drew 2-2 with Osasuna at the weekend. They are currently ranked eighth in La Liga.
Boca Juniors finished fourth in the Argentine Primera Division’s second phase this season, 13 points behind winners – and bitter rivals – River Plate.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
