Palermo vs. Guillermo: A rivalry with history and renewed tension

A decade ago, they had already faced each other as coaches in Argentine football. But this time, the context was much more tense. Palermo arrived under pressure: his team had lost to San Antonio Bulo Bulo, Peñarol had won, and in the Paraguayan league, they had gone four games without a win. Olimpia was the only team in the group without a point.

Barros Schelotto, meanwhile, was also under scrutiny due to defeats in the Argentine league, but a dramatic win over Peñarol had bought him a bit of time.

A tense reunion: forced smiles and carefully chosen words

In the lead-up to the match, both coaches spoke about seeing each other again. Palermo said they hadn’t greeted each other yet, but that there would be a hug on the pitch. Guillermo disagreed, saying they had chatted and that the most important thing was to deliver a good spectacle.

The greeting finally came just before kickoff: alongside Gustavo Barros Schelotto and Federico Insúa, it was a quick encounter with forced smiles and hands covering mouths.

Vélez thrashed Olimpia 4-0 and brought Palermo's cycle to an end

On the pitch, Vélez was unstoppable. At the 24-minute mark, Braian Romero opened the scoring with a header. Before halftime, Romero extended the lead from the penalty spot. In the second half, Maher Carrizo added a third with a brilliant solo run, and in stoppage time, Francisco Pizzini sealed the 4-0 result.