Boca and Independiente will face each other again this Saturday in the 229th edition of the Clásico, one of the biggest rivalries in Argentine football. According to the Argentine News Agency, since their first match on May 28, 1911, during the amateur era, the two clubs have played 228 encounters. 'Xeneize' (Boca's nickname) has 80 wins, there have been 72 draws, and 'Rojo' (Independiente's nickname) has 76 victories. The match will be played for the 14th matchday of the Primera División Apertura tournament on Saturday, April 11th at 19:30, at La Bombonera. With different realities, but both coming off important wins in their last matches, Boca and Independiente will measure up again in one of the most attractive classics in Argentine football's Zone A. With Claudio Úbeda as coach, 'Xeneize' is one of the most consistent teams in the first division. After some defeats in the first tournament rounds, Boca started to find its rhythm with Leandro Paredes in midfield, the young Tomás Aranda as an attacking midfielder, and the strike duo composed of Miguel Merentiel and Adam Bareiro, achieving their current 10-game unbeaten streak. Within this streak, the 'blue and gold' team began to show a different face after a 3-0 away win over Lanús, followed by draws against San Lorenzo and Unión, and three consecutive wins: against Instituto and Talleres in the Apertura, and against Universidad Católica de Chile in the first round of the Copa Libertadores. On the other hand, Independiente was going through a somewhat turbulent period under coach Gustavo Quinteros, whose continuity was beginning to be questioned, although everything changed after the last matchday: 'Rojo' won 1-0 in the Avellaneda Clásico against Racing at home. Thus, the 'King of Cups' put behind a bad run in domestic football, having won only one of their last six matches, and also returned to the playoff zone of the Apertura, being their main objective for the semester. Regarding the history, the two most successful Copa Libertadores clubs in South America are separated by only four matches after 228 encounters. Boca has the advantage with 80 wins, there have been 72 draws, and 76 victories for 'Rojo', who will be the visitor in the next edition. The club from La Boca neighborhood also has a better performance in the last 10 head-to-head encounters, with three wins (in the 2018/19 Superliga, the 2020 League Cup, and the 2023 tournament), five draws, and only two wins for Independiente: in the 2021 tournament and in the quarterfinals of the 2025 Apertura. Among other notable matches are the finals of the 1989 and 1994 South American Supercups, with one championship each, and 12 direct elimination duels, a category in which Independiente prevails with seven wins.
