Atlético Bucaramanga and Independiente Santa Fe faced off in the final match of the fourth round of the BetPlay Dimayor League at the José Américo Montanini. This match followed their epic final of the first semester, where Rafael Dudamel’s team emerged victorious.
Prior to this clash of the titans, Santa Fe came off a goalless draw against Jaguares de Córdoba, while Atlético Bucaramanga suffered a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Equidad at El Campín.
The match started evenly, with both teams deploying defensive structures. Atlético Bucaramanga used a 5-man line-up, while Independiente Santa Fe opted for a 3-defender, 2-wingback formation.
The turning point of the match arrived in the 27th minute when Atlético Bucaramanga was reduced to 10 men after Carlos Romaña received a red card for an aggression on Yilmar Velásquez.
With a numerical advantage, Santa Fe repeatedly threatened to open the scoring, but their efforts were thwarted by Aldair Quintana’s saves from Hugo Rodallega and Julián Millán’s close call.
Santa Fe found the net in the 53rd minute when Julián Millán headed the ball into the back of the net, securing his first goal of the second semester.
Despite the setback, Atlético Bucaramanga continued their attack and had two clear chances saved by Andrés Mosquera Marmolejo.
As the game progressed, Santa Fe was reduced to 10 men when Jhojan Torres received a double yellow card for a foul on Fabián Sambueza.
Unfortunately for Atlético Bucaramanga, their hopes of an equalizer were dashed when Freddy Hinestroza received a double yellow card in injury time.
Independent Santa Fe secured a crucial victory, moving up to ninth in the standings with 9 points, while Atlético Bucaramanga remained in the middle with 4 units.
Looking ahead, both Atlético Bucaramanga and Independiente Santa Fe will face Deportivo Cali and Once Caldas in their next matches, aiming to collect three points in the BetPlay Dimayor League.