Guillermo reveals what he told Arruabarrena about Paredes: «I said…» | OneFootball

Guillermo Barros Schelotto suffered against Boca for much of the second half and, especially, against Leandro Paredes. The Xeneize captain once again controlled the tempo of Rodolfo Arruabarrena’s team and, after Vélez’s draw at the Ducó, the Twin didn’t hold back in praising the world champion midfielder. He even revealed that after the match he spoke with the Vasco about the No. 5’s level.

» Paredes is an extraordinary player. He plays one-touch, without pausing, he does it all with his foot. What can I tell you, he played in World Cups and left his mark everywhere he played. He is Boca’s No. 5. I told the Vasco when the match ended how well he played,” Guillermo began.

He went even further when explaining the difficulties Vélez had in trying to neutralize him: » We can’t press him because he plays one-touch. If you let him play, he slows it down and launches long balls. He’s extraordinary“.

Vélez’s coach knows what he’s talking about. In fact, Boca’s captain was one of the standout players in the draw. Especially because of what he did in the second half, where he took over the midfield, delivered wonderful assists and even tried his luck from distance, though Marchiori prevented what would have been the Xeneize’s second goal.

Guillermo analyzed the draw between Boca and Vélez

Guillermo’s description also had a lot to do with how the match unfolded. Vélez had started better, managed to take the lead, and had chances to extend it. However, they failed to make the most of them and Boca kept growing until it took control of the match in the second half.

» We lacked finishing in the first half. We could have built a bigger lead. With more than a 1-0 advantage we would have managed the match better. Boca has very good players, national team players, who have played in World Cups,” explained the Fortín coach.

In the second half, the picture reversed. Boca started controlling the ball with Paredes as the hub, Vélez dropped back and, despite the substitutions Guillermo made, they never managed to regain control. “Just as we controlled the ball in the first half, Boca controlled it in the second and split us open. We couldn’t get into the opposition box as a unit,” he admitted.

Asked by Olé whether, considering the way it ended, Vélez was taking home a very valuable point, the Twin replied: “What stands out are the final minutes, when Boca was getting it to Villa and launching long balls at us, but we played well in the first half. I think the draw ended up being the fairest result.”

In addition, Guillermo lamented the chances his team let slip away: “ We lacked finishing in the first half, and fighting and battling in the second would have given us the win. But we didn’t score the goals, and then Boca controlled the ball.”

Guillermo and the affection of the Boca fans

The night also had an emotional element for the Twin. Before the match he greeted Arruabarrena alongside his brother Gustavo and afterward spoke about the bond he still has with Boca’s fans.

“It’s hard to repay it with words. They treated me in an extraordinary way from the time I first arrived as a player until my final days as coach. They still do. My gratitude is lifelong, it’s incredible,” he concluded.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.