Atlético Nacional defeated Deportes Tolima 3-1 on Wednesday with a great goal from the center of the field by the lateral Yerson Candelo, in the first leg of the Apertura Tournament final, which will be defined in Ibagué next Sunday.
In addition to Candelo's goal, the Verdolaga team equalized with a goal from their other lateral, Danovis Banguero, and defined the match in the last minute with a goal from Andrés 'el Rifle' Andrade, while the Vinotinto y Oro had taken the lead with a goal from the winger Anderson Plata at the Atanasio Girardot stadium in Medellin.
The visiting coach, Hernán Torres, proposed a plan in which his team looked organized in defense and tried to take advantage of the spaces left by their opponent to counterattack.
Although they looked comfortable in the initial minutes, the Verdolagas had their first clear opportunity in a great collective play in the 19th minute in which midfielder Yeison Guzmán ended up one-on-one with the Ecuadorian goalkeeper Alexander Domínguez, who saved the goal with a great save.
However, Tolima opened the scoring in the 22nd minute when midfielder Daniel Cataño sent a cross in a corner kick that passed through the area and hit Plata in the stomach, who was alone in front of the goal of a helpless Kevin Mier.
The hosts, struggling against a very well-organized defensive opponent, only managed to approach with individual plays from players like Dorlan Pabón, who almost scored in the 33rd minute with a long-range shot that was close to the crossbar.
In the next play, the visitors were close to equalizing in a counterattack by Plata who shot, one-on-one, with Mier who managed to stop the ball.
Just when it seemed that the first half was going to end 0-1, Candelo unleashed a powerful shot that Domínguez saved, but the rebound fell to Banguero who celebrated the equalizer against his former team in the 43rd minute.
In the second half, Atlético Nacional became more dangerous with the entry of Andrade, but Tolima had the first clear chance in a counterattack in which striker Michael Rangel took a shot that Mier saved with a great save.
The match became complicated, but Candelo scored the goal. The lateral stole the ball in his own half, 58 meters from the opponent's goal, from the Venezuelan Yohandry Orozco, saw Domínguez off his line, and without thinking twice, took a powerful shot that beat the Ecuadorian goalkeeper, who couldn't reach the ball and had to take it out of the back of the net.
After the goal, the visiting team tried to attack but found a well-organized opponent and a determined Mier, who made another clear opportunity save before the end of the match.
One of the last plays, a counterattack that started with a quick release from Mier, ended with Andrade's goal, who crossed the ball to Domínguez in the one-on-one and made the more than 40,000 fans who filled the Atanasio Girardot stadium celebrate.
The Verdolagas, coached by Hernán Darío 'el Arriero' Herrera, will try to maintain the lead on Sunday in Ibagué with the aim of winning their 17th Colombian league title, while the Vinotinto y Oro aims to come back and lift their fourth trophy.
Ver noticia en El Comercio: DT