BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA — Matías Pellegrini emerged as the hero with a quickfire brace, but Vélez Sarsfield had to survive a late scare as Iker Zufiaurre's spectacular 90th-minute thunderbolt made for a tense finale in a 2-1 victory over Boca Juniors at José Amalfitani. The home side dominated proceedings for long stretches, outshooting their illustrious visitors 15 to 9, before Zufiaurre's right-footed rocket from outside the box to the top right corner—assisted by Leandro Paredes—threatened to steal a point for the Xeneizes deep into stoppage time.
The opening exchanges were cagey, with both sides probing for weaknesses in a match that saw possession split almost exactly down the middle at 50.2% for Vélez and 49.8% for Boca. The first real chance fell to Boca's Kevin Zenón in the 19th minute, but his right-footed effort from the centre of the box was comfortably gathered by Vélez goalkeeper Álvaro Montero. Diego Valdés came close for the hosts just before the hour mark, his header from the centre of the box narrowly missing the target after good work from Joaquín García on the right flank.
The breakthrough arrived in the 63rd minute when Pellegrini rose highest to meet a pinpoint Valdés cross, his header finding the bottom left corner to send the home faithful into raptures. The Argentine forward wasn't finished there. Just three minutes later, Pellegrini struck again, this time latching onto a perfectly weighted through ball from Valdés during a devastating counter-attack and curling his left-footed shot from outside the box into the bottom left corner past Agustín Marchesín. The Boca goalkeeper had no chance as Pellegrini wheeled away in celebration, his clinical finishing punishing the visitors' inability to convert their own opportunities.
Between Pellegrini's second goal and Zufiaurre's late consolation, the match threatened to peter out as a comfortable home victory. Marchesín was forced into action in the 68th minute, saving Pellegrini's left-footed attempt from the centre of the box after an assist from García, denying the forward his hat-trick. Vélez manager made tactical adjustments, introducing Lucas Robertone for Pellegrini in the 78th minute, followed by Dilan Godoy for Florián Monzón a minute later, and Rodrigo Aliendro and Álex Verón for Claudio Baeza and Manuel Lanzini in the 84th minute to shore up the midfield and protect their advantage.
Boca, meanwhile, rang the changes in search of a lifeline. Ángel Romero replaced Miguel Merentiel in the 61st minute, while Zufiaurre and Tomás Aranda entered the fray for Gonzalo Gelini and Zenón in the 73rd minute. The substitutions nearly paid immediate dividends when Zufiaurre missed a header from the centre of the box in the 47th minute and fired wide from outside the box in the 56th minute. Leandro Paredes, Boca's midfield orchestrator, picked up a yellow card in the 47th minute for a foul on Pellegrini, disrupting the visitors' rhythm further.
The statistics painted a picture of Vélez's superiority. The home side registered 15 shots to Boca's nine, with four on target compared to three for the visitors. Vélez also edged the corner count 3-2 in their favor, though Boca shaded it with seven corners to three. The foul count was nearly identical—11 for Vélez, 10 for Boca—in what was a physical but fair contest. Both goalkeepers made two saves apiece, though Montero's stops proved more crucial in preserving the clean sheet until the dying moments.
The turning point came in that three-minute spell between the 63rd and 66th minutes when Pellegrini's double strike transformed the complexion of the match. Valdés, who provided both assists, was instrumental in unlocking Boca's defense, his vision and delivery from wide positions causing constant problems. Emanuel Mammana and Lisandro Magallán formed a solid defensive partnership for Vélez, with Mammana making a crucial intervention to concede a corner in the 67th minute rather than allow a clear shooting opportunity.
As the clock ticked into the 90th minute, Vélez appeared to have the points secured. Then Zufiaurre unleashed a moment of individual brilliance, collecting Paredes' pass and rifling an unstoppable right-footed shot from outside the box into the top right corner. The goal, coming with just seconds remaining in regulation time, set up a frantic finale. Fourth official announced three minutes of added time, and Vélez had to dig deep to preserve their advantage. Lautaro Blanco fouled Godoy in the 94th minute as Boca pushed bodies forward, and Ayrton Costa was caught offside in the 92nd minute as the visitors desperately sought an equalizer.
Vélez managed to see out the remaining moments, with Aaron Quirós replacing Valdés in the 92nd minute to add fresh legs and help run down the clock. The home side blocked a Lucas Robertone effort in the 94th minute and won a corner as Boca committed men forward, effectively killing off any hopes of a dramatic comeback. The final whistle brought relief and jubilation for Vélez, who had weathered the late storm to claim a vital opening-day victory.
The win positions Vélez well ahead of their trip to face their next opponents, while Boca must regroup quickly with their upcoming fixture on the horizon. For Pellegrini, this performance announced his arrival as a key figure in Vélez's attacking plans, his movement, finishing, and link-up play with Valdés providing a blueprint for success this season. Boca, despite Zufiaurre's late heroics, will rue their wastefulness in front of goal and the defensive lapses that allowed Pellegrini the space to inflict the damage.