Two and a half years ago, El Lobo beat El Pincha and ended a 13-year streak without winning the classic in a very similar context to the current one for both teams.
The week before the classic is lived in La Plata like few other times. On Monday, Estudiantes and Gimnasia will face off for a spot in the Clausura final, a clash that not only decides a finalist: it also revives a recent chapter that no one at El Bosque has forgotten.
This match has a similar aroma to one of the most celebrated victories by El Tripero in recent times: the 2-1 on March 19, 2023, the day they ended 13 years without celebrating against El Pincha.
That match was also played at El Bosque, against an Estudiantes coached by Eduardo Domínguez, the same who will be back on the Pincha bench this Monday. And on the other side, as now, Gimnasia arrived with a coach who had just taken over, with little experience and a lot to prove.
At that time, it was Sebastián Romero, who had taken command and was still in his initial, almost emergency phase. To top it off, Romero didn't finish the match: he was sent off for a clash with a Pincha player, which added drama to the subsequent celebration.
Gimnasia last beat Estudiantes six years ago. But the second half changed everything.
Today, El Lobo arrives again with an interim coach, now with Fernando Zaniratto, and in some part of La Plata, no one is letting the coincidence pass.
El Lobo's Last Victory nThat afternoon in 2023 started terribly for El Tripero: at four minutes, Mauro Boselli appeared in the small area to push in a cross from Piatti and put the 1-0 on the scoreboard for Estudiantes.
Estudiantes arrives with a stronger structure, an experienced squad, and a Domínguez who will try to lead Estudiantes to another final and win another title in his cycle at El Pincha.
The context, the tension, the interim coach, the rival coach, and the setting... everything seems to be falling into place. They want to believe in El Lobo, in a line that connects the present with that afternoon. And precisely for that reason, Monday's classic has a special flavor: it's not just about reaching the final. It's the chance to rewrite, or prevent the rewriting of, a story that marked both clubs very recently.
Penalty, a short run, and a firm finish: with the 2-1, El Bosque exploded and the 13-year wait was over.
The Parallels of the Classic nGimnasia arrives again in a limiting situation, with an interim coach, with fewer names and more rebellion. The psychological blow was immediate: Estudiantes felt the jolt, and El Lobo went after them with heart.
At 11 minutes, the equalizer came: Alan Lescano, with a header from the front after a cross from the right, made it 1-1 and ignited El Bosque. The silence lasted a minute, but the weight of history, 13 years without beating their eternal rival, seemed to sink the home team.
Will history repeat itself?
At the very end, at 40 of the second half, a foul in the area gave Cristian Tarragona the chance of the afternoon.
