América de Cali and Deportivo Cali face off in the Valle Clasico at the Pascual Guerrero stadium, with both sides having already secured their places in the cuadrangulares. While both teams have clinched qualification, the match carries significant weight for their standing in the league, as América sits in second place with 35 points and Deportivo Cali occupies third with 33 points.
The clash serves as a battle for the “punto invisible,” or sporting advantage. A victory for América would ensure they finish among the top two teams in the championship and would eliminate Deportivo Cali’s chances of securing that advantage. Meanwhile, Deportivo Cali is currently fourth in the Reclasificación table, trailing Santa Fe by three points. With two matchdays remaining, the “azucareros” continue to fight for the top positions, while Santa Fe currently holds a spot in the Copa Libertadores qualifiers.
Medical updates and squad changes for Deportivo Cali
Regarding medical updates, Marcos Mina has begun field work, while Jan Lucumí remains under evaluation due to patellar tendinitis/tendinosis in his left knee. Josen Escobar has returned to the squad, though Nicolás Hernández and Edson Tortolero were not included.
Deportivo Cali arrives strengthened after a 2-0 victory over Boyacá Chicó. However, the “azucareros” will be without Nicolás Benedetti, who must serve a suspension following an ejection in their previous match. The availability of Fabián Viáfara remains to be confirmed as he has been in a recovery process.
Internal tensions at América de Cali
The classic is overshadowed by reports of internal unrest within the América de Cali squad. Players have reportedly decided to skip the pre-match concentration as a protest against alleged economic breaches by the club. The players are reportedly seeking the payment of three overdue biweekly periods. This follows a similar determination made by the squad one week prior to their match against Fortaleza, an incident that coach David González previously addressed by stating there was no confrontation with the directors.
Rainfall postpones the match kickoff at Palmaseca
The most recent meeting between these two sides took place on April 25, 2026, at the Palmaseca stadium, where Deportivo Cali secured a 1-0 win thanks to an 88th-minute goal by Avilés Hurtado. América will look to reverse that result in front of their home supporters. Although the match was scheduled for 8:15 PM, it was postponed to 8:45 PM.
The postponement of the Liga BetPlay round 18 fixture occurred due to intense and heavy rainfall in the capital of Valle del Cauca. Following a request from the América de Cali players to delay the start by thirty minutes, Dimayor confirmed the new kickoff time of 8:45 PM this Saturday.
