The first leg of the Liba BetPlay final between Bucaramanga and Santa Fe will be at the Alfonso López stadium.
Photo: Santa Fe
Atlético Bucaramanga, led by Venezuelan Rafael Dudamel, will seek this Saturday to strike the first blow in the final of the Colombian Apertura Tournament when it receives the rocky Independiente Santa Fe in the first leg of the decisive series, which arrives in its best moment of the season to the duel.
The Canarian team, which will play the second final in its history after losing the 1997 final with América de Cali, is motivated after having qualified on the last day of the semi-final quadrangulars by beating Deportivo Pereira 3-1.
Thus, Dudamel’s pupils will play Saturday’s match with the Alfonso López stadium completely full, as the club announced that 100% of the tickets have already been sold.
“I want to express our satisfaction at being in this instance, at playing in a Colombian soccer final, such a competitive league that represents one of the 15 best teams in the world. In 180 minutes we are going to face a great rival that has an admirable history,” Dudamel, who played in Santa Fe between 1995 and 1997, said this week.
The Venezuelan strategist will have all the players who led the team to the final, including goalkeeper Aldair Quintana, veteran center back Carlos Henao, scorer Daniel Mosquera and Argentine winger Fabián Sambueza, who was the great figure of the match against the Pereira.
To reach the final, in addition to having won Group A of the home runs against Pereira with eight points, Junior de Barranquilla and Millonarios, Atlético Bucaramanga finished as leader of the regular phase of the Apertura Tournament with 38 points.
Santa Fe, which is coached by the Uruguayan Pablo Peirano, reaches the final of the tournament as a great favorite after having won Group B with 16 points, the product of five wins and one draw.
Likewise, the Cardenales scored eight goals and barely conceded one in the last game against Deportes Tolima, which makes them a tough nut to crack.
However, the Uruguayan strategist will have to deal with the loss of Argentine center back Facundo Agüero, who was injured in the last home run game.
Those who will be there are the rest of the team’s leaders, which is led on the field by the veteran scorer Hugo Rodallega, a great figure for León in the capital, and the experienced midfielder Daniel Torres, former player for Deportivo Alavés and Real Zaragoza.
Time and where to see Bucaramanga vs. Santa Fe
Date: Saturday June 8
Stadium: Alfonso López, from Bucaramanga.
Hour: 7:30 pm
Channel: Win+
