Deportivo Pereira gave the big blow in group A: they beat Junior in Barranquilla

Andrés Ibargüen was in charge of opening the scoring in favor of the visiting team, 10 minutes into the game. The action took the Barranquilla defense by surprise, which had a game to forget.

If it was believed that it was an isolated goal and that Junior was going to react quickly, then no. Pereira was inspired, and scored the second goal, again at the feet of Ibargüen who took a powerful shot and beat goalkeeper Mele.

And there was more to go. Pereira played to his heart’s content. Junior defended himself poorly. And the third goal came through Piedrahíta, after a great pass from Ibargüen. You couldn’t believe what was happening at the Metropolitano. In 23 minutes the game was already a rout.

Junior finally woke up. Carlos Bacca, the same as always, scored the extra goal that gave life to the team.

In the second half, Caicedo scored the second and tightened the score. Pereira, who gave up the ball, could not resist the junior attack. By that time the visiting team had already lost Jhonny Jordan. With an extra man the local team went for the tie.

The controversy would enter the final minutes of the match, when judge Nicolas Gallo would review in the VAR a possible penalty in favor of Junior, after Jordy Monroy knocked down Deiber Caicedo in the area. However, the referee did not sanction that action because the Junior player ended up exaggerating the fall.

But Junior got tired of dominating and insisting. No matter how much he tried, the goal of equality did not appear. To make matters worse, he lost by expulsion to José Enamorado.

The Matecaña team, led by Leonel Álvarez, reached 6 points and left Junior in a very bad position.

On the fourth date of the semi-final home runs these same teams will meet again, although now it will be at the Hernán Ramírez Villegas stadium next Wednesday, May 22.
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