On Thursday, Once Caldas secured a 2-1 victory against Junior in front of their home crowd. The first half kicked off with Once Caldas taking the lead at just 6 minutes into the match, following a well-executed play. However, Junior responded quickly, leveling the score at 17 minutes with a goal from Joel Canchimbo. The defining moment of the match came at the 35-minute mark when Michael Barrios scored with a powerful shot, solidifying the final score of 2-1.
Michael Barrios stood out as the man of the match, contributing not only with a goal but also making two attempts at the opposing goal. Another key player for Once Caldas was Jefry Zapata, who also scored and showed his attacking prowess with four shots on target.
Once Caldas’ coach, Hernán Herrera, deployed a 4-4-2 formation with Felipe Parra in goal; the defense comprised Juan David Cuesta, Jorge Cardona, Kevin Cuesta, and Kevin Tamayo; the midfield featured Mateo Zuleta, Jaime Alvarado, Luis Sánchez, and Michael Barrios; and up front, Jefry Zapata partnered with Dayro Moreno.
In contrast, Junior’s head coach Alfredo Arias opted for a 4-5-1 setup, fielding Mauro Silveira in the goal, with a defensive lineup of Edwin Herrera, Jermein Peña, Jean Pestaña, and Yeison Suárez. The midfield consisted of Jesús Rivas, Juan Ríos, Cristian Barrios, Yimmi Chará, and Joel Canchimbo, with Guillermo Paiva leading the attack.
The match was officiated by Diego Ulloa Angulo at Palogrande Stadium. Following this match, Once Caldas will travel to face Tolima, while Junior will host América de Cali in their next fixture.
With this result, Once Caldas now has accumulated 10 points in the tournament, placing them fourth, while Junior has a total of 9 points, sitting in sixth position.
Substitutions for Once Caldas
26’ 1H – Jaime Alvarado was substituted for Iván Rojas
72’ 2H – Michael Barrios made way for Felipe Gomez
79’ 2H – Dayro Moreno was replaced by Déinner Quiñónes and Jefry Zapata by Tomás García
Yellow Cards for Once Caldas
28’ 2H – Felipe Gomez (Unsporting behavior)
37’ 2H – Iván Rojas (Unsporting behavior)
Substitutions for Junior
45’ 2H – Guillermo Paiva was substituted for Luis Muriel and Juan Ríos for Fabián Ángel
63’ 2H – Yimmi Chará was replaced by Teófilo Gutiérrez
73’ 2H – Joel Canchimbo came off for Kevin Pérez
84’ 2H – Jean Pestaña was substituted by Dilan Villareal
Yellow Card for Junior
15’ 1H – Juan Ríos (Unsporting behavior)