Paraguayan Football Derby - Vital Clashes From Recent Years

Vital Clashes From Recent Years

In 1999, Olimpia, winners of that year's Torneo Apertura (Opening Championship) were going for their third consecutive Absoluto (Overall) title. The opponents that day were Torneo Clausura (Closing Championship) winners Cerro Porteño. The first leg went to El Decano 1-0, with everything to play for ahead of the return, billed as "The last derby of the Millennium".

Cerro flew out of the blocks to take a 2-0 lead, courtesy of goals from Osvaldo Peralta and Juan Manuel Sara. Not to be denied, Carlos Humberto Paredes, Virginio Cáceres and Walter Avalos all scored for Olimpia to turn the game on its head and win the coveted triple crown.

However, the Cerro Porteño would have their revenge six years later, in a thrilling finale to the 2005 Clausura. The penultimate match of the campaign saw second-placed Cerro host leaders Olimpia, El Rey de Copas holding a precious one-point lead over their near neighbours. It was the visitors who struck first through Carlos Galvan, before El Ciclón fought back to record a crucial win with goals from Walter Fretes, Julio dos Santos and Erwin Avalos.

On the final matchday, with their fate now in their own hands, 2005 Apertura winners Cerro Porteño held firm to defeat General Caballero, a victory that clinched both the Clausura and the overall 2005 championship.

In 2010 up until the derby Cerro was undefeated. In the first derby of the year Cerro was winning 2-1 but ended up losing 3-2

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