Millonarios said goodbye with dignity and eliminated Junior from the grand final of the BetPlay League

In the end, the ‘invisible point’ was what gave Bucaramanga the classification in a four-way tie at eight points in the table. If it had been by simple goal difference, the first would be Millos. What ended up weighing on the terrible end of the game in Pereira…

(Read also: Madness in Bucaramanga: the passage to the final of the Betplay League sparks celebration throughout the city)

Alberto Gamero’s team tried to close the campaign with decorum and began to attack Junior, who wanted to hold on in his field and save air. It didn’t generate many options in the first half and the game was quite flat.

Another thing was the second half, when Millonarios hit a blow that ended up being lethal. Mackalister Silva made a change of front and Daniel Ruiz invented a great game, with hooking and finishing on goal. Santiago Mele stopped halfway and rebounded, the ball hit Jermein Peña and went into the visitors’ goal: 1-0 after four minutes.

Millonarios was able to keep going, but it was only enough for a second goal, at 13 minutes into the second half, in another rebound from Mele who, this time, fell into enemy legs, those of Juan Carlos Pereira, who finished at will to increase the advantage in El Campín, in front of more than 14,000 spectators who protested against their team with banners for the campaign, but who still celebrated the goals.

The entry of Steven Rodríguez gave Junior some air, but the outlook was already very difficult. He had to score two goals to try to qualify, but his lack of aim and the hands of Álvaro Montero even prevented the Colombian champion, who has already handed over the crown: he will not be able to retain it.

(Also: Unheard of: Pereira player attacks a ball boy in the match against Bucaramanga and is sent off, video)

Millonarios is getting ready to rethink many things, in a semester in which he wanted to go for everything but his weak level, injuries and lack of definition left him empty-handed.

Jose Orlando Ascencio
Sports Deputy Editor
@josasc