Game of the Week: Palmeiras 3×3 São Paulo

Without any Copa Libertadores games this week, this edition sees Game of the Week going back to its roots with a good old fashioned São Paulo derby in the Campeonato Paulista.

The Palmeiras x São Paulo FC clássico (commonly known as the Choque-Rei) is a strong and well-regarded derby, especially considering that both sides regard Corinthians as their biggest rivals. Sunday’s match marked the 300th Choque-Rei in history, and in the scorching Presidente Prudente sun, we were served up an exhilarating 3×3 draw.

Game of the Week: Atlético Nacional 2×0 Universidad de Chile

Another week, another game. This time Game of the Week heads to the north-west of the continent to the Colombian city of Medellín. There, nestled in the Aburrá valley, a noisy crowd packed in to the Atanasio Girardot to witness a superb game of football. But first, some back story.

It is easy to forget today that back in the 80’s and early 90’s, Colombian football was one of the biggest forces on the continent. While the Cali and Medellín drug cartels operated almost unopposed, the country’s infamous drug lords pumped their dirty money into the game, and into their favourite teams.