Palmeiras, led by Abel Ferreira, gave Marcelo Gallardo’s River Plate a masterclass right in their own Más Monumental stadium in Argentina. Still, they let their rivals off the hook a bit. Palmeiras won 2-1, with goals from Gustavo Gómez in the 5th minute and Vítor Roque in the 40th. This win puts them very close to the Copa Libertadores semi-finals for the 2025 edition.
In front of 85,000 home fans, the São Paulo team clearly outplayed the local squad. This game had history, bringing together old acquaintances. Master and student faced each other again after their dramatic 2020 semi-final clash. In that earlier encounter, Palmeiras won 3-0 away in Avellaneda. They then struggled at home in Allianz Parque, suffering a 0-2 loss. That game almost turned into a 0-3 defeat, but Gonzalo Montiel’s goal was disallowed due to an offside call on Rafael Borré.
After that tense match, Abel Ferreira hugged Gallardo and told him he would win the Libertadores and dedicate it to him. “Win the final,” Gallardo, known as “El Muñeco,” replied. The Portuguese coach later admitted in an interview that he had read Gallardo’s book, ‘El pizarrón de Gallardo: así armó un River ganador’, by ‘La Nación’ journalist Christian Leblebidjian. “You don’t know this, but when we were getting ready to play River Plate, we bought the book – my coaching staff and I – and read it cover to cover. We wanted to leave no stone unturned. While I studied, I was learning.”
Following that elimination where the student knocked out the two-time Libertadores-winning teacher, Palmeiras went on to conquer the trophy two more times under Abel. Now, they’ve met again in Buenos Aires, fighting for a spot in the 2025 semi-finals. Back in 2021, the teams felt evenly matched. But what fans saw this Wednesday was entirely different. Palmeiras showed they are on another level, far above River. Abel Ferreira confirmed that, along with Flamengo, he now manages the best team in South America. The student truly schooled the teacher this time.
Marcelo Gallardo, who returned to River after eight glorious years and 14 titles, is still trying to bring the team back to its competitive best. He lost to Atlético Mineiro last year, leaving a debt to settle. So far, he hasn’t lifted any trophies since his comeback.
The Libertadores remains his obsession, ranking above all other competitions. But River, often called “the millionaires,” has shown improvement. They lead Group B of the Liga Profesional after beating Estudiantes 2-1. They are also still alive in the Copa Argentina, set to face Racing Club in the quarter-finals.
For the season’s biggest game, Gallardo chose a 3-5-2 formation. His lineup included two World Cup champions, Gonzalo Montiel and ex-Sporting player Marcos Acuña. It also featured two heroes from River’s golden era: ex-Benfica player Enzo Pérez and Nacho Fernández. However, at 39 and 35 years old respectively, both struggled with the pace, power, and quality of Abel’s squad. Palmeiras played a 4-2-3-1, where Argentine José Manuel López, already called up by Lionel Scaloni for the senior national team, truly shined.
The frustration of River’s 80,000-plus fans, who had prepared a chilling welcome, sharply contrasted with the celebration of 2,000 Brazilians who arrived from São Paulo. What was expected to be a tight contest turned into a clear display of Palmeiras’ superiority. They only truly suffered in the final minutes when Lucas Martínez Quarta scored for River, making it 2-1 and keeping a sliver of hope alive.
Far from the competitive sparkle of Gallardo’s old River teams, the task looks incredibly tough for the second leg. That match will be held next Thursday at Allianz Parque. Everything is technically still open, but Abel and Palmeiras are much closer to moving forward in the competition.