Boca Juniors' 3-1 victory over Deportivo Recoleta in the first leg of the round of 16 of the Copa Sudamericana left a curiosity rarely seen in professional football. The Argentine team kicked off both at the beginning of the game and at the beginning of the second half, a situation that went unnoticed by the rival, the referee and the assistants.

The image, captured by the cameras at the Tomás Adolfo Ducó Stadium in Huracán, quickly went viral because no Paraguayan player claimed the error.

The episode occurred after the break. Boca took the ball again in the central circle and put the ball into play, despite the fact that the regulations indicate that the second half serve belongs to the team that did not take it in the first half.

Beyond that striking action, the match began adversely for Xeneize. Deportivo Recoleta surprised just five minutes in with a collective play that ended in a shot by Pedro Ríos, deflected along the way before beating goalkeeper Álvaro Montero.

The Paraguayan advantage forced Boca to advance lines and assume the offensive role.

A match conditioned by expulsions

The team led by Jorge González resisted for much of the first stage and opted for the counterattack. Boca generated several clear situations and hit two shots against the posts, one from Miguel Ángel Merentiel and another from Milton Delgado.

The development changed in added time of the first half, when Wilfrido Báez saw the direct red card and left Recoleta with ten players.

The numerical superiority was reflected immediately after the break. Santiago Ascacíbar equalized the score with a header in the 49th minute and, just two minutes later, Milton Delgado sealed the comeback with another aerial goal.

The third goal came in the 62nd minute thanks to a powerful shot by youth Leonel Flores, which widened the difference for the Argentine team.

The night became even more complicated for the visitors when Dairon Mosquera was sent off in the 69th minute, leaving Recoleta with nine players in the final stretch of the match.

Boca leaves the series open for the return in Asunción

Despite the 3-1, Boca failed to extend an advantage that could have been greater. The team created numerous offensive opportunities and found the posts again on several occasions.

Relegated to defending for much of the match, Recoleta avoided a larger defeat and maintained some hope for the second leg.

The series will be resolved next Tuesday in Asunción. The winner will face the winner of the match between São Paulo and Bolívar in the quarterfinals.

While Boca will try to confirm the classification in Paraguay, the unusual double kick-off was established as one of the strangest images of the current edition of the Copa Sudamericana.

This news has been tken from authentic news syndicates and agencies and only the wordings has been changed keeping the menaing intact. We have not done personal research yet and do not guarantee the complete genuinity and request you to verify from other sources too.