In the opening match of the Torneo Apertura in Argentina's Liga Profesional, Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata beat Racing Club 2-1 at the Estadio Juan Carmelo Zerillo in La Plata. Nicolás Barros Schelotto, son of Guillermo Barros Schelotto, scored the opener with an Olympic goal from a corner in the 9th minute of the first half, and Franco Torres made it 2-0 three minutes into the second. Tomás Conechny pulled one back for Racing in the 37th minute of the second half, but it wasn't enough to draw level.
The match, played on January 24, 2026, marked the return of Ignacio Fernández to Gimnasia's jersey after stints at other clubs. The 19-year-old midfielder Nicolás Barros Schelotto sparked joy in the stadium by curling the ball into the top corner past goalkeeper Facundo Cambeses directly from a corner kick in the ninth minute of the first half. This play, known as an Olympic goal, stood out in a clash between two teams that had been among the top four in the previous tournament.
After halftime, Gimnasia extended its lead quickly with a close-range finish from Franco Torres three minutes into the second half. Racing, which controlled possession at 66% to Gimnasia's 34% and mustered 13 shots on target compared to seven from their opponents, mounted pressure in the latter stages. They pulled one back via a header from Tomás Conechny in the 37th minute, but Gimnasia's defense held firm to secure the win.
There were no red cards, though five yellows were shown in total: two to Gimnasia (Manuel Panaro and Ignacio Fernández) and three to Racing (Duván Vergara, Agustín García Basso, and Tobías Rubio). The referee was Leandro Rey Hilfer. This result places Gimnasia at the top of Group B, with Racing in 14th position.
Gimnasia has a favorable recent head-to-head record, winning the last three meetings before this one. Gimnasia's next fixture is against River Plate on January 28, while Racing faces Rosario Central on the same day.
