Junior and Medellín played a great game in the first leg of the 2023-II League final. The locals could have overwhelmed their rival, but DIM knew how to react and managed to ensure that the damage was not as great as it seemed at the beginning. The 3-2 makes the return duel a reserved forecast.
Junior came out to eat Medellín alive and in the first 20 minutes he gave a lesson in effectiveness. At 3, the Carlos Bacca who knew how to be champion of the Europa League appeared, to open the field with a dribble and force between the two brand midfielders and the two central defenders of the DIM, who the only thing they could do was watch how he crossed the ball to the post from Mosquera's left hand to score 1-0.
DIM, who in those first minutes had neither the aggressiveness nor the pressure of previous games, received a second goal, at 16, in a beautiful touch and luxury play: Deiber Caicedo to Gabriel Fuentes, Fuentes to Caicedo, Caicedo to 'Cariaco' González, 'Cariaco' to José Enamorado and Enamorado to the net, passing the ball between Daniel Londoño's legs.
However, the hydration break was very good for Medellín: he not only poured water on his face, but also on his soul. He was saved from 3-0 twice, after a save by Mosquera on Homer Martínez and a one-on-one between Caicedo and the goalkeeper that the Junior player threw over the goal. But at 39, José Ortiz deflected a shot from Yairo Moreno after a rebound and tightened the final.
Medellín lost two attacking players due to injury, Edwuin Cetré and Luciano Pons, the latter due to a stomp by Homer Martínez in the area that, at least, deserved a VAR review. And those who entered, Ánderson Plata and, above all, Diego Moreno, were protagonists. Santiago Mele, the Junior goalkeeper, avoided a tie on two occasions: the first, by saving with his feet, like Dibu Martínez in the World Cup final in Qatar, a shot at ground level by Daniel Londoño, and then, above , when taking a header from Moreno.
Between the changes, a muscle discomfort from Mele, an interruption due to burning gunpowder in the north stand of the Metropolitano and a second break for hydration, Junior was shaken. And in the first play after the resumption of the match, Bacca appeared again to finish and score the 3-1, at 26 of the second half, in a play put together by the two who entered the field, Vladimir Hernández, to open the play on the left, and Léider Berrío, to put the ball into Bacca's zone of influence, who turned before Varela's gaze and sent it away.
Medellín was faced with a dilemma: either hold on to the two-goal difference to try to reverse it at home, or look for the discount goal once and for all in Barranquilla. Junior did not allow him the second: After Bacca's second goal, Mele had not had much work to do. Reyes already put together a team to withstand the difference and even brought out the scorer, which took away a problem for Medellín.
In the 89th minute, Nilson Castrillón, one of those who came in to take care of the 3-1 score, committed a foul near his area and Medellín got oil from it: after a cross from Daniel Londoño, Varela headed to the center of the small area and there Moreno appeared to score the injury goal.
The 3-2 score emboldened the 'Poderoso', who did everything possible, now, to bring the series tied to Atanasio Girardot. Mele, again, saved Junior in a Silver shot.
Medellín managed to minimize the damage, thinking about what had been the beginning of the game, and arrived home only one goal down. And Junior, who could have passed straight, will now have to learn to defend himself in three days, if he wants to hang the tenth star on his shield.
Jose Orlando Ascencio
Sports Deputy Editor
@josasc
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