Atlético Nacional struck a major blow in the first leg of the Liga BetPlay semifinals by beating Deportes Tolima 0-1 at Manuel Murillo Stadium. The Antioquia side knew how to endure on the road and took a crucial advantage to decide the series at home.
The course of the match was heavily shaped by the early sending-off of Anderson Angulo in the 31st minute, a referee decision that sparked controversy in the Tolima camp.
Despite being down a man, Tolima did not back down and threatened the opposing goal on several occasions, but they ran into a monumental David Ospina, who emerged as the standout player by denying the Ibagué side time and again.
The only goal of the match came in the second half, specifically in the 56th minute, through Alfredo Morelos.
In the final minutes, the game turned physical and choppy, ending with the straight red card shown to Cristian ‘Chicho’ Arango in stoppage time.
With this result, Atlético Nacional takes the lead and will look to seal its place in the Colombian football grand final next weekend at Atanasio Girardot Stadium in Medellín.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.