- Lautaro Blanco has played in all 23 Boca Juniors matches since Rodolfo Arruabarrena’s return, starting 22 of them: he is a key figure in ‘El Vasco’s’ team.
- His attacking contribution made him one of the ‘Xeneize’s’ main weapons in overturning the deficit against Vasco da Gama.
Boca Juniors coach Rodolfo Arruabarrena knows the intricacies of playing at left-back. During his playing days, he was part of the ‘Xeneize’s’ golden era under Carlos Bianchi, delivering unforgettable moments such as his two goals in the 2-2 draw against Palmeiras in the first leg of the 2000 CONMEBOL Libertadores Final.
Since returning to the club as coach in mid-2026, Arruabarrena has made important decisions for a team that has re-established itself as a contender on all fronts and will face Vasco da Gama in the CONMEBOL Sudamericana Semi-final this Tuesday. With rotation and injuries requiring careful squad management, just one player has featured in every match the blue-and-gold side have played this year. Lautaro Blanco, the left-back who joined Boca in January 2024, has started 22 of their 23 matches in the second half of the year, playing 1,934 of a possible 2,070 minutes.
Even when he started on the bench, he ended up on the pitch. Against Gimnasia de Mendoza on 5 September, he came on in the second half and played 22 minutes. Amid a demanding schedule, Blanco delivers performances his coach particularly values. “There are times when you worry about playing him, but the truth is that he delivers. He played very well again today,” Arruabarrena said after the victory over Central Córdoba.
His constant presence is explained not only by his defensive impact, but also by his contribution at the other end of the pitch. After reaching ten assists in 2026 by setting up Miguel Merentiel’s goal in the victory over Talleres, Blanco added another in the second leg against Vasco da Gama, crossing for Lautaro Di Lollo’s header to take his tally to eleven and extend his best return for a calendar year since joining the club. He recorded nine in 2024 and three in 2025: this season, he has surpassed both totals and underlined his ability to make the difference in the opposition half.
His tireless runs down the flank and crosses that leave defenders guessing remain his trademarks, but he has added new dimensions to his attacking game. Against Talleres, he won the ball back in the opposition half and set up Merentiel from a central position with his right foot. Against Instituto, he had also picked out the Uruguayan with a through ball down the middle. His ability to surprise opponents no longer depends solely on reaching the byline. “He’s doing a great job. He often gets down the flank, but at other times he advances through the middle,” Arruabarrena explained.
Merentiel is one of the beneficiaries of that output. After the victory over San Lorenzo, in which he scored from the full-back’s assist, he highlighted the importance of having players who can support the attack from deeper positions: “It’s very important for the full-backs to get forward and deliver those dangerous crosses.” The connection between the pair gives Boca a familiar route through opposition defences.
The CONMEBOL Sudamericana also reflects the prominent role Blanco has earned in blue and gold. In the second leg against Vasco da Gama, he reached 16 appearances for Boca in the competition, as did Merentiel, with both overtaking José María Calvo to move into joint fifth place on the club’s all-time appearance list in the tournament. The full-back also recorded his tenth victory, cementing his position as the current squad member with the most wins for the ‘Xeneize’ in the competition.
In Rio de Janeiro, Boca overturned their 1-0 defeat at La Bombonera to secure a place in the Final. Blanco contributed an assist on a night that demanded attacking penetration, precision and the ability to sustain pressure without neglecting defensive recovery. Arruabarrena, who knows the path from left-back to continental glory, has a player in that position who has already left his mark on their qualification and will now look to take the final step towards ‘La Gran Conquista’.
