The exciting last date of all against all of Colombian professional football – to be played almost completely this Sunday at 3:30 pm – reserves two contingents in the final phase of the championship for five teams.
With Atlético Nacional, Deportivo Cali, Santa Fe, Esports Tolima, Milionaris and La Equidad with a guaranteed place, Junior, América de Cali, Deportivo Independent Medellín, Jaguars and Esportiva Pastura still have the illusion of appearing in the ‘playoffs’ .
What are the options for each squad?
Junior, today seventh with 29 units and goal difference of 8, he has one foot in the finals and only one catastrophe could eliminate him, although he rests on that date.
To stay out, America and DIM, eighth and ninth respectively, with 26 points and differences of 5 and 4, will have to score with four or more goals ahead of Tolima and Onze Caldas. If two things do not happen, the Atlantic will rank among the eight.
America, currently eighth with 26 units, you can contemplate various scenarios to get into the party.
The first is to beat Tolima to Pascual Guerrero for at least the same goal difference as Medellin to Eleven Caldas.
Another is to beat the club ‘pijao’ by four or more goals, which would allow him to beat Junior in the standings and not depend on any other result.
A draw would be enough in the red of the Valley as long as neither of these two things happens: that Medellín beat Onze Caldas in Manizales and that Jaguares win by five or more goals in Chicó.
Even losing, the current two-time Colombian football champion can qualify. Therefore, he would need Medellin to also lose to Manizales, Jaguars not to beat Tunja and Pastura (23 points, 1 goal difference) not to beat Pereira by an advantage that would allow him to overcome the red in the goal difference.
Andrés Cadavid, captain of the Independent Sport Medellín.
Photo: Dimayor
Medellín, ninth with 26 points, Is another team that depends on itself to qualify.
Winning by four or more goals in the Palogrande de Manizales will surpass Junior at the table and secure his share. If not, he will have to beat the Caldense capital by at least one goal more than America on Tolima. Of course, scoring at least the same goals as the red of Cali.
If the previous one does not happen – for example, that America wins 3-2 and DIM 0-2 -, those of ‘Bolillo’ Gómez will have to win by two or more goals of difference.
With the tie, the Antiochians can dream of the classification as long as America loses in the Paschal and Jaguars does not win to Tunja by four or more annotations.
Although it is a chimera, the ‘Mighty’ can also classify losing. If he does, he should try to score and wait for the ‘Devil’ not to do so and lose at least one more goal difference than his team.
In addition, he would need the Jaguars not to beat the Chicó in Tunja and the Pastura not to emerge victorious from Pereira with a distance that will allow him to overcome it in the goal difference – today, there are three goals between both teams -.
Jaguars and Pasture, for the epic
Jaguars of Córdoba, tenth with 24 units, he wants to return to a final phase of the League after four years, which is why he has two options that are very difficult to specify.
First, he has to beat Chichó, a team that struggles not to go down, in Tunja. Failure to do so will result in no chance of classification.
Winning will depend on America and Medellin losing. If they tie, they will have to win by five or more goals to beat them.
On the other hand, Esportiva Pastura, who resigned most of his chances in a goalless draw with Bucaramanga last Thursday, will be the judge of relegation for Pereira and clings to a utopia to qualify.
Therefore, he must beat Hernán Ramírez Villegas, wait for the Jaguars not to do so in Tunja and for America and Medellín to lose their respective games.
Here the goal difference will begin to take center stage. The Nariñenses, with 1 in relation to 4 and 5 who have both reds, respectively, have managed to overcome these records by the combination of results.
Tie-breaking methods: In the event of a tie in points, these are the tiebreaker items, in order of application: goal difference, highest number of goals in favor, highest number of goals in favor as a visitor, lowest number of goals against as visitor and effective playing time.