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The Xeneize will be hoping to bounce back from Libertadores disappointment with victory in Sunday’s Copa Diego Armando Maradona final
Argentina’s Copa Diego Armando Maradona comes to a close on Sunday with the final between Boca Juniors and Banfield in San Juan’s Estadio Bicentenario.
All games are live streamed on Fanatiz and you can sign up to watch free here.
Boca was crowned 2019-20 league champions in March after coming out on top during the 23-game season.
The Copa Superliga was scheduled to follow on from the regular campaign, but was scrapped after just one game as football came to a halt.
This season’s action began with a new cup format, renamed after Diego Maradona following his death in November, where six groups of four teams competed for 12 places in the Campeon de Copa phase.
That next step consisted of two groups of six teams, which were won respectively by Boca and Banfield to earn a place in the final.
The winner of the Campeon phase will qualify for the 2021 Copa Libertadores, although Boca have already earned their passage by virtue of winning the last league tournament.
There is also a Sudamericana spot open to the sides disputing the Complementary phase, which is exactly the same in format and includes all the teams that failed to qualify for the Campeon phase.
Velez Sarsfield prevailed in Saturday’s Complementary final against Rosario Central and go on to meet the loser of Sunday’s decider to determine who enters the competition.
It is expected that the new season of the next Primera Division will then follow in February 2021.
Fanatiz has the rights to the Copa de la Liga Profesional worldwide, excluding Argentina, Germany, Austria, Portugal, Israel, Russia, Sweden and the Balkans.
How to watch Boca vs Banfield on US TV
Having won the league back in March, Boca are now on the cusp of completing a domestic double.
That success, however, has been overshadowed by the Xeneize’s woes in the Copa Libertadores.
On Wednesday Miguel Angel Russo’s charges were thrashed 3-0 by Santos in the semi final after a 0-0 draw in the first leg, ending their hopes of winning a first Copa since 2007.
Rivals River Plate also went out despite a spirited comeback against Palmeiras, meaning that Argentina is left with no participants in January 30’s final.
With that failure fresh in the mind, Boca will be keen to bounce straight back after clinching top spot in their group last week over River and Argentinos Juniors.
Banfield won four of their five Championship Phase matches and pipped Cordoba’s Talleres to the summit by a single point, having thrashed San Lorenzo 4-1 in their final match to assure their place at the top.
Javier Sanguinetti’s team is packed with exciting young talent, with only three members of the side that beat San Lorenzo aged 25 or over.
The Taladro began their Copa Maradona campaign with victory over River, and would love to add Boca’s scalp to their collection and win the club’s first silverware since James Rodriguez helped them to the 2009 Apertura title.
Live Stream: Fanatiz English (stream now)
| Date | Time (US PT / ET) | Match | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 17 | 8:10pm/5:10pm | Boca Juniors vs Banfield | Fanatiz |
Boca vs Banfield team news and preview
Boca coach Russo is set to make a host of changes after his side’s Libertadores disappointment midweek.
Eduardo Salvio, Leonardo Jara, Diego Gonzalez, Lisandro Lopez and Franco Soldano are all likely to be dropped, with Colombia playmaker Edwin Cardona given the chance to shine in San Juan.
One player who might survive the cull, however, is Frank Fabra, who left his side reduced to 10 men against Santos due to a red card for violent conduct.
Banfield will welcome back captain Luciano Lollo for the final, after the centre-back sat out the San Lorenzo game due to suspension.
Alexis Sosa makes way in what will likely be the Taladro’s only change from their last outing.
Watch this weekend’s Copa Diego Armando Maradona final on Fanatiz in the US with a 7-day free trial.
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