League leaders Huila and Tolima drew 1-1, but remain three points ahead of the rest. Itagui jumped in to third position, following an entertaining home win, while La Equidad (4th) and Patriotas (5th) sit level on points with the Medellin club after earning 1-0 away wins. Elsewhere, Santa Fe won a seven goal Bogota clasico, while Independiente won a second Medellin clasico in two weeks.
The weekend kicked off Friday with a convincing 3-1 win for Once Caldas, away to basement club Deportes Quindio. Jefferson Cuero put Caldas 3-0 up ten minutes into the second half, before veteran Hamilton Ricard grabbed a late consolation goal for Quindio. Caldas (15th) have now won three of their last four games to notch up nine points in total, leaving them four points clear of the bottom.
Itagui won the south Medellin derby in thrilling style, beating Envigado 4-2. Itagui squandered a 2-0 lead taken within 30 minutes, conceding on the stroke of half time and then ten minutes after the break. But the two-goal cushion was restored by strikes from Mauricio Gomez and Cleider Alzate, lifting Itagui in to third position on 15 points.
Patriotas also reached 15 points after Luis Valencia’s 76th minute goal earned a late 1-0 win over Boyaca Chico in the Tunja derby.
Saturday evening saw Deportivo Cali claim their fourth home win of the Apertura, with a 1-0 victory over Deportivo Pasto.
The best of Saturday’s action was Santa Fe’s 4-3 victory in the Bogota clasico. Santa Fe looked to have wrapped up the game, going 4-0 up after 53 minutes, but a 17-minute hat trick from Humberto Osorio made for a nail biting final ten minutes, as Santa Fe held on to move in to top eight, on 12 points. Millionarios (13th) continue to flounder on ten points.
Sunday’s face-off between Tolima and Huila maintained the status quo at the top, as the 1-1 draw left Huila in first position on goal difference. Robin Ramirez’s 26th minute strike looked to be handing Tolima a three-point lead at the summit, but Milton Rodriguez’s 6th goal of the Apertura rescued a point for Huila ten minutes from the end.
A 6th minute strike from Darwin Andrade was enough to earn La Equidad victory over Cucuta Deportivo and maintain their place in the chasing pack, on 15 points. Cucuta are without a win in five matches and slip to 17th position, on seven points.
Champions Junior overcame a 1-0 deficit to finally register back-to-back league victories, winning 3-1 at home to Real Cartagena. Luis Ruiz scored either side of half time to overcome Oscar Castillo’s 31st minute opener for Cartagena. Maicol Balanta struck in the 70th minute to secure the win and move Junior up into sixth, on 14 points. Cartagena remain five points clear of the bottom, with ten points.
The weekend’s action was concluded by Independiente Medellin’s 1-0 victory over Atletico Nacional in the Medellin clasico. Johnatan Estrada’s 43rd minute free-kick was enough to propel Medellin (9th) above Nacional (12th), with their fourth consecutive victory and second clasico win in a fortnight. The result puts Medellin on 12 points and top of the form chart, while Nacional are on ten points and without a win in nine games in all competitions.
