Boca goes top after late Merentiel penalty

Exequiel Zeballos and Miguel Merentiel scored second-half goals as Boca Juniors rose to the top of Argentina's Primera Division Group A on Sunday with a 2-1 away win over 10-man Estudiantes.

Zeballos squandered a chance to put the visitors ahead on the stroke of halftime when his penalty rebounded off the left post.

The winger made amends shortly after the interval by running onto Milton Gimenez's through ball and finishing clinically into the bottom right corner.

Colombian forward Edwuin Cetre equalized with a 59th-minute penalty after Cristian Medina was brought down by Agustin Marchesin.

The hosts were reduced to 10 men two minutes from time when Gabriel Neves was shown a straight red card for a rash challenge on former Manchester United midfielder Ander Herrera.

Merentiel restored Boca's lead by converting a 97th-minute spot kick after Herrera was again fouled, this time by Fabricio Perez in the area.

"The entire team deserves credit for an extraordinary match," Zeballos told reporters after the match, explaining that his missed penalty had not impacted his confidence.

"You have to be strong and thankfully my teammates ensured that I didn't let that miss get to me. They ensured that I was ready in the second half and thankfully I was able to score."

The result leaves Boca with 23 points, ahead of second-placed Union Santa Fe on goal difference. Estudiantes is fifth in the 15-team group, two points further back.