Deportivo Cali showcased its dominance by defeating Millonarios 3-1 on February 24, 2025, during the sixth round of the Liga Betplay at the Estadio Deportivo Cali. The match marked a significant victory for Deportivo Cali, who capitalized on every defensive mistake made by the visiting team, exposing the vulnerabilities of Millonarios.
The game erupted with intensity right from the whistle, and it took just 60 seconds for Deportivo Cali to take the lead. A spectacular team play culminated when Fabián Viáfara crossed the ball to José Caldera, who finished with a powerful strike, putting the hosts on the scoreboard and putting the Millonarios defense on notice.
Despite the early setback, Millonarios aimed to equalize. Jader Valencia almost leveled the score at the 11th minute, only to have his shot cleared off the line by Caldera himself, who was clearly having a night to forget for the opposing defense. Yet, Deportivo Cali continued to apply pressure, finding gaps and exhibiting fluid coordination, leading to their second goal at the 23rd minute. Jarlan Barrera initiated the counterattack and assisted Emiliano Rodríguez, whose individual brilliance forced the ball past goalkeeper Álvaro Montero again.
Millonarios, coached by David González, struggled severely to regain composure throughout the match. Despite making defensive adjustments at halftime, the team continued to demonstrate fragility. Their attacking strategy appeared lackluster, failing to present any meaningful threats, leaving Radamel Falcao isolated and without effective support against the well-organized Cali defense.
While the second half saw variations as González attempted to shuffle his squad, the changes delivered little impact. The situation worsened for Millonarios at the 70th minute, when Jarlan Barrera executed a free kick from the left side. The precision of his delivery allowed Andrey Estupiñán to head the ball home, marking the third goal for Deportivo Cali and effectively sealing Millonarios’ fate.
Just when it seemed the game would finish without any silver lining for Millonarios, they managed to reduce the deficit at 93 minutes, albeit through an own goal from Juan Sebastián Quintero. The brief revival came too late, leaving the blue team with more questions than answers as they trudged off the field.
Following the match, Alfredo Arias, head coach of Deportivo Cali, expressed his gratitude to the players and fans: "Agradecerles a los jugadores y a la hinchada que no abandona, se ganó un partido muy importante, hace años no le ganábamos a Millonarios de locales...Tuvimos intensidad en todo el juego y la tenemos que trabajar día a día y debemos mantener la humildad, vamos paso a paso." His comments reflected both the confidence of the team moving forward and the promise to address areas needing improvement.
On the other side, frustration boiled over for Millonarios, with media sources describing their performance as "a nightmare." According to El Tiempo, Millonarios never seemed comfortable on the pitch, "no iba ni un minuto de juego cuando Viáfara tiró el centro y José Caldera apareció muy solo en el área para sacar un potente remate." This statement encapsulated the struggles faced by the embajadores as they aim to regroup before their upcoming match against Deportes Tolima on March 2, 2025.
Despite the worrying performance, Millonarios must look to capture the spirit of resilience to bounce back as they prepare for the next match. The game served as not only validation for Deportivo Cali's improvements under Alfredo Arias but also as a wake-up call for Millonarios as they strive to avoid slipping anchors at the top of the league standings.
This significant victory lifted Deportivo Cali to 11 points, positioning them third within the league ranks, demonstrating promising signs of their potential to contest for higher placements as the season progresses.
With the victory intact and their fanbase invigorated, Deportivo Cali has ample motivation to maintain their momentum and continue building on this formula of success, striving to improve their effectiveness game by game, as articulated by Arias, "La actitud la venimos demostrando en todos los partidos." Looking forward, the challenge remains to stay humble and adaptable as they seek to secure their legacy through each match.