The clock barely showed seven minutes when the first blow fell on the DIM. Fabián Sambueza got ahead of the defense and, with an accurate shot, opened the scoring for Bucaramanga. From that moment on, the home team showed relentless determination. The DIM players seemed trapped in a fog of doubt, and the second blow was not long in coming. At the stroke of 30 minutes, Andrés Fabián Ponce took a penalty that had left more than one scratching their heads; The VAR could not dissuade the referee from the controversial decision. With two goals against, Medellín went to the locker room hurt, but not defeated.
Alejandro Restrepo knew that he needed a radical change, something that would inject freshness and aggressiveness into a team that seemed dull. The second half started with a different DIM, rejuvenated by the arrivals of Jaime Alvarado, Jhon Edwin Montaño, Diego Moreno and Brayan León Muñiz. These players gave it life, filled each play with ideas, and Bucaramanga, which in the first half was an insurmountable wall, began to show cracks.
That’s when the 56th minute brought a spark of hope. Brayan León took advantage of an impeccable center and finished to shorten the distance. The stadium fell silent. DIM, revitalized by the goal, began to take over the field.
The breaking point came minutes later, when Bucaramanga’s Jéfferson Mena was sent off. With one extra man, Medellín felt the call of the epic. The pressure was suffocating and, as if it were a premonition of what was to come, the tie came. Luis “Chino” Sandoval was in charge of the tie. A 2-2 that already tasted like a feat.
However, for the Mighty One, it was only the prelude to something greater. With the clock at the last minute of regulation time, the DIM was not satisfied. One more attack, one last chance before the referee put an end to a night that had become an emotional roller coaster. Brayan León, him again, connected the ball to send it to the back of the net. His goal cry resonated like a roar of triumph and survival. With that goal, Brayan signed his double and sealed a memorable comeback, which allows DIM to continue dreaming of home runs.
With this victory, El Poderoso reached 22 points. He still has the possibility of adding 31 if he manages to beat Patriotas, Envigado and Nacional in his next games. This Medellín, which fights until the end, showed in Bucaramanga that it is still more alive than ever.
Relive the minute by minute of this commitment here:
