Patriotas has not had a good performance in the current Liga BetPlay 2024-II, and although they had some good moments, they had not managed to earn their first three points, but in this matchday 6, they took down Once Caldas and ended up winning with a resounding 3-1 at La Independencia in Tunja.
The team coached by Harold Rivera had the mission to defend their home turf, so the best scenario was to face the league leader, who was unbeaten in this campaign.
From the six-minute mark, Patriotas scored the first goal, with Flabián Londoño opening the scoring with a well-placed penalty into the left post in front of his fans.
Despite that surprising goal, Once Caldas quickly equalized; within a minute, they made it 1-1 thanks to a good finish by Michael Barrios, who gave hope to the white team of taking some points away.
Patriotas never gave up, and the goal did not demotivate them, as they continued to create plays, exposing Once Caldas’s weaknesses by closing down spaces and putting them under pressure.
That persistence from Patriotas was rewarded, and at the 25-minute mark, they scored the 2-1 thanks to a well-placed shot to the corner by the experienced forward Cristian Martínez Borja, who capitalized on an assist from Flabián Londoño, confirming his strong performance in Tunja.
The result was not a coincidence, and Patriotas realized they could defeat Once Caldas, so their intensity remained high, achieving a surprising 3-1 before halftime thanks to Martínez Borja, who scored a brace when the clock marked 38 minutes.
In the second half, Once Caldas needed to improve their performance to try to come back at least to equalize, but the task proved to be quite complicated.
The whites attempted to attack through players like Dayro Moreno, Michael Barrios, and Lucas Ríos, but they were unable to find the finishing touch to reduce the scoreline.
The Boyacenses allowed Once Caldas to have the ball, but defended well and played with the urgency of the visitors, who failed to connect and reach the goal.
Patriotas held onto the lead in the final minutes of the game, patiently waiting for the clock to run out, to defeat league leaders Once Caldas.
In the end, the 3-1 was sufficient, and Patriotas claimed their first victory in this League, leaving the visitors without options to fight for the top of the league standings and ending up with 13 points.