Boyacá Chicó drew 1-1 with Junior de Barranquilla at Estadio La Independencia in Tunja on Tuesday, a result that simultaneously sent the hosts to Colombia’s second division for 2027 and eliminated the visitors from contention for the Liga BetPlay semifinals, Win Sports reported. The draw left both clubs with 16 points and no mathematical path to the cuadrangulares, with Junior unable to surpass 25 points across its three remaining fixtures.
The fifth matchday of the 2026-II tournament, postponed from its original schedule by the August 10 earthquake that struck the country, ran from Tuesday through Friday, according to Caracol Radio. Boyacá Chicó opened the scoring in the 61st minute when Cristian Blanco delivered a corner from the left that Jhonier Alomía headed past Junior goalkeeper Mauro Silveira, AS Colombia reported. Six minutes from time, Kevin Pérez played a pass back to Jesús Rivas, who equalized from the edge of the area against Boyacá Chicó goalkeeper David Agudelo.
How the Draw Sealed Relegation for Tunja and Elimination for Barranquilla
The result confirmed Boyacá Chicó’s relegation to the second division for the 2027 season, Caracol Radio reported. The club, known as the Ajedrezado, could not avoid the drop despite the point earned at home. For Junior, the draw completed a damaging matchday in which the Tiburones saw their playoff hopes end; with three matches remaining and a maximum of nine additional points available, the Barranquilla side cannot reach the 25-point threshold needed to remain in contention, the outlet stated.
Both teams now sit on 16 points in the standings, AS Colombia noted. The draw meant neither side gained ground on the clubs occupying the final playoff positions, leaving both outside the top eight with no route back into the postseason race.
Match Details and Key Moments at La Independencia
The first half remained evenly contested with possession shared, AS Colombia reported. Guillermo Paiva forced David Agudelo into an early save with a header from a right-sided corner, while Santiago Mera tested Mauro Silveira with a shot that the Uruguayan goalkeeper parried. The decisive moments came in the second half: Alomía’s header from Blanco’s set piece gave the hosts the lead, and Rivas’s late finish ensured Junior salvaged a point that ultimately changed little in the standings.
Silveira, who suffered an injury during the match but remained on the field, later addressed the media. “I want to apologize to all of Junior, not just for this match, but for this bad semester we had,” Zona Cero quoted him as saying. The goalkeeper added that he had been calculating his team’s chances until the previous match but that the results did not come, and he expressed confidence that the following year would be different.
Context of the Postponed Fifth Matchday
The fixture was part of a rescheduled round that began October 27 and concluded October 30, Caracol Radio reported. The original schedule was disrupted by the August 10 earthquake. Other results from the matchday included Cúcuta Deportivo’s 0-2 loss to Águilas Doradas, Once Caldas’ 1-0 win over Alianza, Internacional de Bogotá’s 3-1 victory against Medellín, América de Cali’s 2-1 comeback against Fortaleza, Pereira’s 1-0 win over Jaguares, and Bucaramanga’s 2-1 triumph over Pasto.
The Pereira result confirmed that Alianza Valledupar, Llaneros, and Internacional de Bogotá had secured their survival for 2027, leaving Cúcuta and the Montería-based side as the only two clubs still fighting to avoid relegation, Caracol Radio stated.
What Comes Next for Both Clubs
Boyacá Chicó will compete in Colombia’s second division in 2027, ending its top-flight tenure. Junior, despite its elimination from the current tournament’s playoff race, still has three matches remaining in the regular season to finish the semester as strongly as possible, Silveira said. The goalkeeper noted that the team’s only remaining objective is to close out the campaign in the best way possible.
Boyacá Chicó is confirmed for the 2027 second division, while Junior faces a significant squad overhaul for 2027.
