A 30-team Primera brings with it an absolutely packed Saturday schedule with six matches kicking off at overlapping points of the afternoon and evening. The first two simultaneously starting at five o’clock saw Defensa y Justia travel to La Plata to take on Gimnasia, while in Bajo Flores, San Lorenzo welcomed newly-promoted, Colón. One of these encounters was a nervy, even affair decided by a fortuitous goal and the other was about as comfortable a win can be in a top flight league.

Gimnasia  0 – 1  Defensa y Justicia

The big loss over the summer for Gimnasia was goalkeeper Fernando Monetti heading to Lanús but there was little his replacement, Yair Bonnín could do about the only goal of the game. Nicolás Bertocchi’s strike from the edge of the box took a huge deflection off Osvaldo Barsottini and trickled beyond the stranded keeper and into the corner. During the Transición, Gimnasia’s grain of success came from not conceding goals, such was the inadequacies of their attack, and once more they were unable to find a way through a resolute defence. Defensa y Justicia should be commended for this and an early away win is a perfect start for Darío Franco’s side who themselves were robbed of their key players. Neither performance did anything to suggest that the two teams will do much more than simply finish above the majority of the promoted sides.

San Lorenzo  2 – 0  Colón

It is very difficult to tell if San Lorenzo have finally awoken from their post-Libertadores slumber given the level of resistance that Colón provided and although Leandro Romagnoli looked back to something like his creative best, Colón were out of their depth and gave a good illustration of why promoting TEN teams from the Nacional B is less than ideal. Mostaza Merlo’s side continuously gifted possession to San Lorenzo and so the only surprise was that it took until the 34th minute for El Ciclón to take advantage. A cross from the inside left found Mauro Matos in acres of space and although his initial header was kept out by Jorge Broun, the striker was able to hammer home the rebound. The second half followed a familiar pattern and with twenty minutes remaining Romagnoli put Colón out of their misery. The club legend produced a wonderful, defence splitting pass to release young Héctor Villalba and the pacy attacker, rounded Broun to tap in the second. Sterner tests will come for Los Cuervos but Colón must improve.