Boca Juniors were able to seal a semi-final place in the Copa Libertadores after a 1-1 draw with Cruzeiro in the second leg match. The first leg meeting between the two clubs finished as a 2-0 victory after goals from Mauro Zarate and Pablo Perez. The red card for Dede in the closing stages of the match was a key factor in deciding this outcome. As a result, Cruzeiro were under a lot of pressure in order to get a positive result in the second leg.

The decisive goal in the game came in the 58^th minute when Cruzeiro broke to come up with the first goal of the match and reduce the Boca Juniors advantage in terms of aggregate score. Just as they were pushing for an equaliser that would have taken the game into extra time, Boca Juniors came up with an injury time equaliser through Christian Pavon. Incredibly, Dede was sent off for a second consecutive time – this time after picking up two yellow cards. As a result, Boca Juniors have been able to progress into the semifinals where they will face Palmeiras. The six-time champions have some key injury problems that places them in a disadvantageous position.

Luiz Felipe Scolari has a lot of experience when it comes to winning the Copa Libertadores and Boca Juniors know that they will be in for a tough game against the Brazilian outfit. It is also crucial that Palmeiras have been in excellent form and the team last suffered a defeat back in the middle of September. They are also top of their domestic league and it gives them crucial opportunities to rest key players ahead of the match. The first leg of the Copa Libertadores meeting will be towards the end of October followed by the return leg at Allianz Parque.