How it happened
Atlético Bucaramanga played most of this match a man down and still beat Junior Barranquilla 3-1 at the Estadio Américo Montanini. Every goal came in the first half; after the break, goalkeeper Diego Novoa kept Junior out, finishing with seven saves.
Bucaramanga led after 7 minutes when P. Ortíz turned the ball into his own net. The match shifted in the 22nd minute, when J. García was sent off for the home side, and three minutes later L. Muriel levelled from the penalty spot.
Ten men did not stop Bucaramanga. F. Hinestroza restored the lead in the 33rd minute and E. Batalla added a third in the 37th, so the hosts went in 3-1 up. Neither side scored after the interval under cloudy skies and a temperature of 20C.
The numbers
The statistics belong to Junior. They had 58% of the ball, 19 shots to 12, seven on target to four and six corners to two. Estimated expected goals put them at 2.82 against 1.33 for Bucaramanga, a gap of 1.49 that the scoreline reverses.
Novoa was the difference. His seven saves earned a match rating of 8.3, joint-highest on the pitch with midfielder Felix Charrupí, who also posted 8.3 from 75 touches and two key passes. For Junior, Jesús Rivas had the best rating at 7.6 in 66 minutes, with one key pass.
What it means
Bucaramanga are seventh on 46 points after 30 matches, two points ahead of Junior in tenth. The hosts are unbeaten in their last 10, with five wins and five draws, and their latest table sequence reads W-W-W-D-W.
Junior's slide continues: two wins in their last 10, with five defeats and 0.9 points per match. It was also Bucaramanga's first win in the five most recent meetings listed between the clubs, after a 2-0 defeat in March 2026, a 1-1 draw and two further games without a win.