Sarmiento Boca: Copa Argentina date, time and confirmed XI
Sarmiento Boca meet in Copa Argentina 2026 round of 16 on Thursday, July 16, with kickoff at 21:45 Argentina time at Rosario's Coloso Marcelo Bielsa. Boca coach Rodolfo Arruabarrena has named his XI for the single-elimination cup debut, while reinforcements Álvaro Montero and Sebastián Villa stay behind.
Key Takeaways
- Sarmiento Boca kick off at 21:45 Argentina time at the Coloso Marcelo Bielsa in Rosario.
- Arruabarrena's confirmed XI is built around Leandro Brey in goal and Miguel Merentiel up front.
- New signings Álvaro Montero and Sebastián Villa were left out of the 22-man trip to Rosario.
- The winner advances in a one-match knockout with no second leg.
- Tomás Aranda starts in the No. 10 role after Tomás Belmonte's ankle sprain.
When and where do Sarmiento Boca play?
According to reports covering Arruabarrena's first official list of the semester, Boca traveled to Rosario for a Thursday Copa Argentina round-of-16 tie against Sarmiento at Newell's Coloso Marcelo Bielsa.
Olé places kickoff at 21:45 local time. The fixture is Boca's first competitive outing of the half-year and the coach's official return to the Xeneize bench in cup competition after a demanding preseason.
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What is Boca's confirmed lineup vs Sarmiento?
Olé published the XI Arruabarrena selected for the debut: Leandro Brey; Leandro Lozano, Nicolás Figal, Ayrton Costa, Lautaro Blanco; Santiago Ascacíbar, Milton Delgado; Alan Velasco, Tomás Aranda, Leonel Flores; Miguel Merentiel.
The shape is attack-minded. Ascacíbar and Delgado anchor midfield, with Velasco and Flores wide and Merentiel as the reference striker. Tomás Aranda starts among the three attacking midfielders and wears the No. 10 shirt, filling a gap left by Tomás Belmonte's ankle sprain.
Leandro Lozano is the only new signing available for this cup night, after a strong preseason showing against Athletico Paranaense in Salta. Arruabarrena is leaning on players who logged minutes in friendlies rather than late arrivals.
Why are Montero and Villa missing for Sarmiento Boca?
OneFootball reported that goalkeeper Álvaro Montero and winger Sebastián Villa will not travel because both arrived late, at the end of preseason and hours before official competition began.
Arruabarrena named a trimmed 22-player party for Rosario. Reports say the pair could be considered later for Boca's Copa Sudamericana first leg against O'Higgins at La Bombonera.
With no rematch in Copa Argentina, Boca must win over 90 minutes to advance to the last eight and start Arruabarrena's second spell with a result that keeps the federal cup run alive ahead of a busy club calendar.