Deportivo Cali secured a 3-0 victory away against Llaneros FC on Wednesday night at Estadio Bello Horizonte ‘Rey Pelé’ in Villavicencio, as reported by Win Sports, vaulting the club to the top of the Liga BetPlay Dimayor standings with 29 points.
Early Strikes Set the Tone in Villavicencio
The visiting side established control early during the postponed match from the ninth round of the Colombian league. Johan Martínez broke the deadlock in the 11th minute after receiving a precise pass from Daniel Giraldo in the central area, finishing cleanly to open the scoring. Nicolás Benedetti amplió la ventaja en el minuto 22 con un tiro libre de derecha que superó al guardameta, según se detalla en las crónicas de los partidos.
Steven Rodríguez Scores as Howell Mena Is Sent Off
Deportivo Cali maintained its offensive momentum after halftime. In the 63rd minute, goalkeeper Pedro Gallese launched a long clearance that served as an assist for Steven Rodríguez, who outpaced the defense and finished calmly past the local keeper. Llaneros struggled to break through a solid defensive block, though Néider Ospina hit the crossbar with a powerful left-footed strike from outside the area following a pass from Juan Castilla. The hosts’ night worsened in the 80th minute when defender Howell Mena received a second yellow card and was sent off for stopping the ball with his hand.
Deportivo Cali Takes the Liga BetPlay Summit
The 3-0 victory lifts Deportivo Cali to 29 points with a goal difference of +14, placing the team at the summit of the Liga BetPlay table ahead of América de Cali, which holds 28 points, as detailed by El Colombiano. The win leaves Rafael Dudamel’s squad on the verge of securing early qualification for the semifinal cuadrangulares. Deportivo Cali is scheduled to face Fortaleza away on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. local time during the 16th round of the tournament, while Llaneros prepares to play Jaguares on Monday.
Rafael Dudamel Offers Apologies After the Final Whistle
Following the match, Deportivo Cali head coach Rafael Dudamel addressed the media in a press conference and offered an apology to the players, technical staff, and supporters of Llaneros. As reported by AS Colombia explained that an incident near the final whistle—when he made a motion to prevent a quick restart while opposing players were down on the pitch—was not intended to show disrespect. Dudamel emphasized that his teams always maintain absolute respect for their opponents while celebrating the ongoing growth and collective evolution of his squad this season.
Table Standings and Weekend Schedule
Behind the leading Deportivo Cali with 29 points and América with 28, Nacional and Millonarios appear with 26 points, while Bucaramanga and Santa Fe have 25. Medellín sits in seventh place with 23 points, and Cúcuta holds the eighth position with 21 points. The 16th round opens on Friday with Chicó facing Bucaramanga at 6:00 p.m. and Junior playing Águilas at 8:10 p.m. Saturday’s slate features América against Cúcuta and Once Caldas meeting Pereira. Sunday’s fixtures include Alianza versus Internacional de Bogotá, the Medellín derby between Nacional and Medellín at 6:10 p.m., and Deportes Tolima hosting Pasto at 8:15 p.m., ahead of Monday’s match between Jaguares and Llaneros.
