At the Hernán Ramírez Villegas stadium, Deportivo Pereira and Atlético Junior equalized at one goal. The matecañas reached 14 points and got into eighth place in the standings. Junior reached 11 units and climbed to box 10.
In the first period, Junior’s possession was extensive but he failed to translate it into real actions that would bring danger to Harlen Castillo’s portico. The pressure was key so that the matecaña went to the dressing room with the advantage. The one who did hurt was Wilfrido de la Rosa, who scored the only goal in the first half.
Deportivo Pereira started the game fighting the ball and pressing high, but Junior knew how to counter his proposal. At 16 minutes the first arrival at Sebastián Viera’s premises was made. José Adolfo Valencia sought to surprise with a shot on the edge of the area, but the shark goalkeeper responded well.
Junior cheered up and at 34 ‘he generated the most important action in the first half. Fabián Sambueza played with Didier Moreno and after the center, Carmelo Valencia appeared to join the head. Goalkeeper Castillo drowned out the goal cry to the visitor.
Barely two minutes passed when the matecaña took advantage of the fact that Junior was playing, and after winning the ball in midfield, Maicol Medina put in a pass like with his hand for Wilfrido de la Rosa, who spliced head after beating Gabriel Fuentes in speed.
Before the end of the first half, Junior managed to celebrate the draw, but the happiness did not last long. Everything happened at minute 39 when Luis ‘Cariaco’ González burned Castillo’s gloves with a free kick; the goalkeeper contained the shot but left a rebound that Carmelo Valencia captured and sent to the bottom. The line judge invalidated an action for misplaced. Valencia was slightly ahead, so the score did not change.
In the complement, the panorama did not change. Junior continued insisting but it was difficult for him in the definition. At 61 ‘, González had a head-to-head with goalkeeper Castillo, who finally won the duel.
The 78th minute passed when Pereira dangerously approached Viera’s premises again. The counterattack action was born after a bad corner charge by ‘Cariaco’ González; Castrillón recovered it and served it to de la Rosa, who put a pass on the edge of the area for Brayan León, who had been on the court for a few minutes, but defined off the track. Junior saved!
The final minutes were intense and the shark looked for the tie on all routes. At 81 ‘, Viera went up to execute a direct free kick to the heart of the area and after a header, Castillo had to react by deflecting it to the corner. Barely four minutes passed when ‘Cariaco’ got into the candela zone, between the defenders, and took a shot that he put through Castillo’s post. This is how he made it 1-1.
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