Junior de Barranquilla defeated Cúcuta Deportivo 2-0 on Monday, November 10, 2026, at Estadio Romelio Martínez, eliminating the visiting side from the final phase of the Liga BetPlay 2026-II, as reported by AS Colombia.
Cúcuta entered the match needing a victory to reach 27 points and secure a spot in the top eight. Instead, the defeat left the Motilón side stranded on 24 points, effectively ending their qualification hopes and granting relief to rival contenders such as Millonarios, Once Caldas, and Deportes Tolima, according to Revista Semana.
Despite the final score, Cúcuta started the match aggressively in search of the three points required to stay alive, according to AS Colombia.
Jaime Peralta threatened early in the fifth minute, testing Junior goalkeeper Mauricio Silveira with a close-range rebound after Léider Berdugo’s initial shot, following an earlier threat in the 14th minute when Peralta drove down the right flank at high speed and shot wide of the goal.
Win Sports reported that Peralta later missed an 87th-minute penalty kick awarded to Cúcuta. Silveira guessed correctly, diving to stop the low effort and preserving the 2-0 scoreline.
Junior weathered the early storm and established control as the first half progressed. In the 35th minute, defender Jermien Peña surged down the right flank and delivered a cross into the penalty area, where Paraguayan forward Guillermo Paiva rose to head past the defense for the opening goal, as detailed by AS Colombia.
Paiva’s header gave the home side a 1-0 advantage heading into halftime. Win Sports señaló que Guillermo Paiva vio la tarjeta amarilla tras protagonizar un acalorado forcejeo en un encuentro arbitrado por Wilmar Roldán, en una primera mitad donde hubo una supuesta mano en el área que el árbitro dio continuidad y el VAR no intervino.
The fixture marked the emotional final home appearance for 41-year-old forward Teófilo Gutiérrez, who entered at halftime to replace Francisco Fydriszewski, according to El Tiempo. Gutiérrez began the match on the bench by decision of coach Sebastián Viera, with whom he had experienced disagreements and cross declarations during the season.
Four minutes into the second half, Gutiérrez combined with Bryan Castrillón on a quick give-and-go before slotting home Junior’s second goal. El Colombiano reported that the strike marked his 107th official goal for the club he joined two decades ago in 2006.
The milestone celebration featured a yellow card for removing his shirt, alongside emotional scenes in the stands as fans chanted his name, while the 29th minute had seen the match temporarily interrupted as Junior fans ignited flares in his honor.
