In a thrilling encounter at the General Santander Stadium, Cúcuta emerged victorious against Tolima with a score of 3-2, despite a stellar performance from Kelvin Flórez, who netted two goals. The home team, led by Richard Páez, executed a remarkable comeback that featured goals from Luifer Hernández (28’ 1H, 12’ 2H) and Jhon Quiñónes (4’ 2H).
Kelvin Flórez had earlier opened the scoring for the Vinotinto and Oro, finding the net twice (15’ 1H, 38’ 1H). Cúcuta’s breakthrough came in the first half when Luifer Hernández scored a well-crafted goal from a cross delivered by Leider Berdugo in the 28th minute.
Despite showing a strong attacking display with 19 attempts, and 9 shots on target, Tolima could not find the equalizer. The definitive play of the match came when Quiñónes, who was named the best player, scored and cleared five dangerous balls.
Luifer Hernández also stood out, completing the match with two goals and three shots on target. The tactical formation used by Cúcuta consisted of a 4-3-3 setup, with Juan Ramírez in goal and a solid attacking line featuring Eduar Arízalas, Luifer Hernández, and Leider Berdugo.
Tolima, under coach Lucas González, deployed a 4-5-1 formation, bringing Luis Marquínez to guard the posts, surrounded by a defensive line and a midfield packed with talent including Brayan Rovira and Kelvin Flórez.
The match was under the stewardship of referee Carlos Betancur Gutiérrez. Looking ahead, Cúcuta will travel to face Pasto, while Tolima will host At. Nacional. Following this defeat, Cúcuta now has 12 points positioned at 6th place, while Tolima sits at 17th with only 6 points.
Substitutions for Cúcuta
45’ 2H – Sebastián Rodríguez out, Brayan Córdoba in
47’ 2H – Diego Calcaterra out, Jhon Quiñónes in; Frank Castañeda out, Agustín Cano in
69’ 2H – Leider Berdugo out, Jaime Peralta in
74’ 2H – Yair Abonia out, Brayan Montaño in; Kelvin Flórez out, Néifer Sánchez in
Cautions for Cúcuta:
24’ 2H Yair Abonia (unsporting behavior), 40’ 2H Jaime Peralta (unsporting behavior), 42’ 2H Juan Ramírez (unsporting behavior), 43’ 2H Kevin Londoño (unsporting behavior)
Substitutions for Tolima
55’ 2H – Shean Barbosa out, Junior Hernández in; Ever Valencia out, Yoimar Moreno in; Luis Sandoval out, Jader Valencia in
56’ 2H – Michael Martinez out, Yimar Parra in
Caution for Tolima:
16’ 2H Brayan Rovira (unsporting behavior)