Olimpia and Guaraní meet on Saturday in Encarnación, in a matchday 19 clash that carries major weight for the Paraguayan championship. The game, one of the country’s oldest rivalries, will be played at the Villa Alegre stadium from 17:00 local time, and tickets have already sold out.
Olimpia chase a second straight title
Olimpia lead the table and arrive in the so-called Pearl of the South with a clear aim: to strengthen their position in the race for back-to-back titles. Coach Pablo “Vitamina” Sánchez’s side are in excellent form, with four consecutive wins. Their most recent victory was a rapid one. They needed only fifteen minutes to dispose of Recoleta FC, with Gabriel Ávalos scoring a hat-trick, which allowed the team to save energy for this trip.
There is one caution for the leaders, however. When these teams met in the first round, Guaraní came away with a 1-1 draw, a result that Olimpia will be keen to avoid repeating. It was also a notable afternoon for Guaraní’s current coach.
Guaraní need the result to stay in the hunt
Guaraní, coached by Francisco “Chiqui” Arce, sit eight points behind the summit. For them, this fixture is effectively their last chance to remain in the title conversation. A win would cut the gap to five points with three rounds remaining.
The Legendary side also come into the game on a three-match winning run. Their latest success, a hard-fought victory away to Sportivo Ameliano in Villeta, was particularly demanding. Arce’s team have two goals in mind: narrowing the distance to the leaders and securing one of the coveted Copa Libertadores 2026 places through the aggregate table. At present, they occupy a Copa Sudamericana position, so a strong result on Saturday could change that picture.
Source: www.abc.com.py
