The Tiburón shone in a closely contested match, besting the Furia Matecaña 3-2 thanks to a stellar performance from Cristian Barrios, who netted two crucial goals. The game, marked by moments of tension, saw both teams vying fiercely until Junior emerged victorious following a temporary 2-2 deadlock.
Barrios struck first, scoring in the 43rd minute of the first half and again in the 38th minute of the second half, showcasing his effectiveness in front of goal. Luis Muriel also contributed to Junior’s success, scoring from a free-kick in the 21st minute of the second half. Pereira fought back with goals from Santiago Aguilar (14th minute of the second half) and Gustavo Torres (33rd minute of the second half), but ultimately left the pitch empty-handed.
Santiago Aguilar ignited hope for Pereira in the second half as he headed in a corner kick delivered by Yuber Quiñones, sending the fans into a frenzy at that moment. However, it was not enough to secure a point for his side.
Cristian Barrios stood out as the man of the match, scoring twice and attempting three shots on target. Muriel’s performance was also commendable, adding one goal and two shots to his name.
Pereira’s coach, Arturo Reyes, set up his team in a 5-3-2 formation, placing Jorge Martínez in goal, with a defensive line consisting of Jordy Monroy, Nicolás Rengifo, Santiago Aguilar, Julián Bazán, and Eber Moreno. The midfield featured Jorge Bermúdez, Miguel Aguirre, and Ederson Moreno, while Jhon Largacha and Yuber Quiñones led the attack.
On the other hand, Alfredo Arias managed Junior with a 4-5-1 formation, featuring Jefersson Martínez as the goalkeeper, Edwin Herrera, Jean Pestaña, Jermein Peña, and Yeison Suárez in defense. Guillermo Celis, Jesús Rivas, Cristian Barrios, Yimmi Chará, and Joel Canchimbo form the midfield, with Guillermo Paiva spearheading the attack.
Referee Alejandro Moncada Sánchez officiated the match held at the Estadio Armenia.
In the upcoming fixtures, Pereira will visit Jaguares, while Junior will host Boyacá Chicó. With this result, the host team is left with two points and stands at sixteenth position in the standings, while the visiting team accumulates six points, placing them in eleventh position.
Substitutions for Pereira
45’ 2T – Miguel Aguirre off for Gustavo Torres, Nicolás Rengifo off for Marco Pérez, Jesús Rivas off for Luis Muriel.
80’ 2T – Ederson Moreno off for Sebastián Urrea.
Cards for Pereira:
14’ 1T Jorge Bermúdez (Unsporting behavior), 31’ 1T Jordy Monroy (Unsporting behavior), 13’ 2T Eber Moreno (Unsporting behavior), 17’ 2T Marco Pérez (Insulting or disapproving the referee), 35’ 2T Gustavo Torres (Unsporting behavior).
Substitutions for Junior
68’ 2T – Joel Canchimbo off for Jannenson Sarmiento, Guillermo Paiva off for Kevin Pérez.
74’ 2T – Yimmi Chará off for Juan Ríos.
88’ 2T – Cristian Barrios off for Dilan Villareal.
Cards for Junior:
7’ 1T Jesús Rivas (Unsporting behavior), 31’ 2T Yeison Suárez (Unsporting behavior), 33’ 2T Cristian Barrios (Insulting or disapproving the referee).