The last exciting match of Colombian professional football – which will be played almost completely this Sunday at 15:30 – reserves two places in the final phase of the championship for five teams.
With Atlético Nacional, Deportivo Cali, Santa Fe, Deportes Tolima, Millonarios and La Equidad with a guaranteed place, Junior, América de Cali, Deportivo Independiente Medellín, Jaguares and Deportivo Pasto still have the illusion of appearing in the playoffs.
What are the options for each team?
Junior, today the seventh with 29 units and a goal difference of 8, he has one foot in the final and only a catastrophe could eliminate him, despite the fact that he is resting on this date.
To be left out, America and DIM, respectively eight and nine, with 26 points and differences of 5 and 4, must score four or more goals in front of Tolima and Once Caldas. Otherwise, the Atlantic will qualify among the eight.
America is currently the eighth With 26 units, you can contemplate various scenarios to enter the party.
The first is to beat Tolima at Pascual Guerrero with at least the same goal difference as Medellín against Once Caldas.
Another is to beat the club “pijao” with four or more goals, which would allow him to overtake Junior in the standings and not depend on any other result.
A draw would be enough for the red in the valley, as long as neither of these two things happens: that Medellín defeats Once Caldas in Manizales and that the Jaguares win by five or more goals against Chicó.
Even losing, the current Colombian football champion can qualify. For that, it would be necessary for Medellín to have lost in Manizales, for the Jaguars not to win in Tunja and for Pasto (23 points, 1 goal difference) not to triumph in Pereira due to an advantage that allowed him to overcome red in the goal difference. .
Andrés Cadavid, captain of Deportivo Independiente Medellín.
Photo: Dimayor
Medellín, ninth with 26 points, is another self-reliant team to qualify.
Winning by four or more goals at Palogrande de Manizales, he will overtake Junior in the table and secure his place. If not, he will have to win in the Caldense capital by at least one goal more than America over Tolima. Of course, scoring at least the same goals as the red from Cali.
If this does not happen – for example, that America wins 3-2 and DIM 0-2 -, those from “Bolillo” Gómez must win by two or more points.
With the tie, Antioqueños can dream of qualifying as long as America loses in Pascual and the Jaguars do not win in Tunja with four or more scores.
Although it is a chimera, the “Mighty One” can also classify loss. If he does, he must try to score and wait for the ‘Devil’ not to do so and lose at least one more goal than his team.
In addition, it would be necessary for the Jaguars not to beat Chicó in Tunja and for Pasto not to emerge victorious from Pereira with a distance that would allow them to overtake him in the goal difference – today, there are three goals between the two teams.
Jaguars and Pasto, for epics
Jaguars of Cordoba, zecea With 24 units, he wants to return to a final phase of the League after four years, and for that he has very difficult options to specify.
First of all, he has to defeat Chicó, a team that is fighting not to go down in Tunja. Otherwise, you will not have the chance to qualify.
The gain will depend on the loss of America and Medellin. If they draw, you will have to win by five or more goals to overcome them.
On the other hand, Deportivo Pasto, who resigned most of the chances by equalizing a goal with Bucaramanga on Thursday, will judge the relegation for Pereira and clings to a utopia for qualification.
For that, he has to win at Hernán Ramírez Villegas, hope that the Jaguars will not do it in Tunja and that America and Medellín will lose their respective games.
There the goal difference will start to take the central place. Nariñenses, with 1 against 4 and 5 respectively for the two reds, will have to manage to overcome those records due to the combination of results.
Tiebreaker methods: In case of a tie in points, these are the elements of equality, in order of application: goal difference, higher number of goals in favor, higher number of goals in favor as a visitor, lower number of goals against him as a visitor and games good luck in time money ice.