Atlético Nacional
Atlético Nacional started their title defense on the right foot by defeating Alianza Petrolera 2-1 at Atanasio Girardot Stadium in Medellin, during the first matchday of the Colombian league.
The home team took the lead in the 5th minute, when Orlando Berrio capitalized on a pass from Mejía, which ended up in the back of the net. After the goal, the home team controlled the game while Alianza eagerly sought the ball as the only means to reach the opponent's area.
Nacional suffered an early expulsion (32') due to constant complaints from Alexis Henriquez towards the referee, who did not hesitate to send him off. Just a few minutes later, Alianza equalized with a perfectly executed penalty by Sergio Romero. This action resulted from a foul by Davison Herrera on an Alianza player in the "petrolera" area.
Starting the second half, Berrio scored again to increase the lead for the "verdolaga" team. However, Alianza did not hide after this goal and tried to reach Bonilla's goal with the ball.
The clock kept ticking, but both teams opted for strong and aggressive play. In the 76th minute, Alejandro Guerra sealed Nacional's debut with a goal that came from a mistake by the opposing team from Santander.
In the end, Alianza tried to push for a goal, but the strong defensive performance from the home team prevented it. With this result, Nacional earns their first three points in this new tournament.