Saturday, September 20, 2025 at 5:10 PM
Estadio Bello Horizonte , Villavicencio
TV: Fanatiz USA, Fanatiz Canada, Win+ Futbol, Win Play
J. Obregon 56'
E. Bodencer 11'
Y. Goez 45'
J. Garcia 87'
Unknown Player 90+10'
C. Blanco Betancur 70'
H. Lopes 74'
D. Alfonzo 80'
H. Mancilla 82'
J. Pineda 90+6'
H. H. Mena Posada 48'
Full time

Rionegro’s Last Place, First-Class: Águilas Stun Llaneros and Flip the Script on Colombia’s Top Flight

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The Estadio Bello Horizonte – Rey Pelé was poised for a routine Llaneros victory Saturday night, as the sixth-placed hosts, boasting a robust home record and a disciplined defense, welcomed a Rionegro Águilas side languishing at the very bottom of the Primera A Clausura. Instead, the script was torn to shreds: Rionegro emerged with a stunning 1-0 upset, delivering a result that may reverberate far beyond Villavicencio.

From the opening whistle, Llaneros sought to impose their familiar rhythm. Statistically, they entered the match with 1.32 goals per home game—a figure that dwarfed Rionegro’s meager 0.71 away average. Yet, as the first half unfolded, the visitors’ defensive resolve was uncharacteristically solid, repelling a series of probing attacks orchestrated by Llaneros playmaker Angulo Sevillano, whose three assists this campaign have been a lifeline for the hosts. Despite holding the territorial advantage, Llaneros were repeatedly frustrated in the final third, their best opportunities smothered by Águilas’ compact midfield and a goalkeeper in inspired form.

The deadlock was finally broken in the second half, not by Llaneros’ expected firepower but by a swift Rionegro counterattack. The winning goal, coming against the run of play, left the home crowd in stunned silence—a microcosm of the unpredictability that defines Colombian football. For Llaneros, it was a night of near-misses and mounting frustration; for Rionegro, a moment of rare clarity in a season clouded by defensive frailty and inconsistency.

This result bucks every statistical trend: Llaneros, with a recent run of five wins in their last ten fixtures and a defensive record of just 0.82 goals conceded per match, were clear favorites. Rionegro, by contrast, had managed only a single win in their previous ten, leaking an average of 1.5 goals per game and sitting dead last in the standings. Yet the visitors’ resilience on Saturday night suggests a team refusing to accept its fate quietly.

The implications are immediate and profound. For Llaneros, the loss exposes a worrying lack of cutting edge at precisely the wrong time in the campaign, threatening to undermine their push for postseason relevance. For Rionegro, it is a lifeline—proof that even the league’s strugglers can, on their night, topple anyone. The three points may not yet lift them from the basement, but they inject a jolt of belief into a squad that badly needed it.

If the rest of the Clausura takes its cues from this night in Villavicencio, Colombia’s top flight may be in for a shakeup that nobody—least of all Llaneros—saw coming.

(Match statistics and highlights available on multiple platforms, including SportyTrader, Sofascore, and Football.com for a comprehensive visual recap.)