The Liga BetPlay regular season reached its 18th round with five clubs securing qualification for the semifinals, leaving six teams to fight for the remaining three spots on the final matchday.
Santa Fe and Bucaramanga Secure Top Eight Spots
Independiente Santa Fe secured its place in the top eight with a 5-0 victory against Deportivo Pasto at Estadio El Campín in Bogotá. Hugo Rodallega scored a hat-trick, Franco Fagúndez added a goal, and Luis Medina contributed an own goal according to reporting from Infobae. The win brought Santa Fe to 31 points after 18 matches.
Atlético Bucaramanga also guaranteed its postseason berth by defeating Jaguares 4-0 away in Montería. Pablo Peirano’s squad reached 32 points with that victory, maintaining fourth place in the standings as detailed by Vanguardia. Atlético Nacional leads the table with 39 points, followed by América de Cali with 36 and Deportivo Cali with 34, all having secured their spots previously.
Atlético Nacional secured its top position after defeating Deportivo Pereira 4-3 in a high-scoring encounter at the Atanasio Girardot stadium. Meanwhile, Deportivo Pasto was forced to present a squad composed of Under-20 players at El Campín due to deep institutional disputes regarding unpaid professional payrolls. Following the early expulsion of local goalkeeper Franklin Mosquera for bringing down an opponent inside the box, Santa Fe dominated the fixture under the direction of coach Pablo Peirano.
After Fagúndez opened the scoring in the 11th minute, veteran forward Hugo Rodallega netted a brilliant hat-trick, complemented by an own goal and later tallies from Fabián Sambueza and Caicedo to complete the 5-0 thrashing. The victory lifted Santa Fe to 31 points with a goal difference of plus ten after 18 rounds.
In Montería, Atlético Bucaramanga cruised past Jaguares with a 4-0 scoreline that solidified the leopardos in fourth place. The squad directed by Peirano compiled eight victories, eight draws, and just two defeats through the 18 matches, producing 30 goals for and 17 against to finish with a +13 goal difference.
América de Cali held the second position with 36 points and a +19 goal difference following a draw at the Pascual Guerrero stadium, while Deportivo Cali stood third with 34 points and a +16 goal difference.
Tolima Revives Hopes as Millonarios Falters
Deportes Tolima kept its qualification hopes alive by defeating Millonarios 2-1 at Estadio Manuel Murillo Toro in Ibagué. Juan Guillermo Cuadrado opened the scoring for the visitors with a free kick, marking his first goal in Colombian football since November 2008
as reported by Revista Semana. Tolima responded when Ever Valencia converted a penalty and Kelvin Flórez added a second goal before halftime.
The defeat left Millonarios with 27 points and a goal difference of +9 in seventh place, forcing the club to secure its position in the final round according to cablenoticias. Tolima climbed to 26 points, sitting in ninth place behind Once Caldas, which also holds 27 points.
The clash in Ibagué saw the visiting team take an initial advantage when Juan Guillermo Cuadrado struck a precise free kick. However, the lead vanished when a defensive error resulted in a penalty kick that Ever Valencia successfully converted in the 25th minute.
Shortly thereafter, in the 36th minute, Kelvin Flórez capitalized on a lethal counterattack to secure the 2-1 scoreline before the intermission. The second half featured intense back-and-forth action, including an annulled goal for the home side, sealing a result that placed Tolima at 26 points and left Millonarios in seventh with 27 units.
Six Clubs Fight for Final Semifinal Berths
Six clubs remain in contention for the final three semifinal berths heading into the 19th round of the tournament.
| Team | Matches Played | Points | Goal Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlético Nacional | 18 | 39 | +20 |
| América de Cali | 18 | 36 | +19 |
| Deportivo Cali | 18 | 34 | +16 |
| Atlético Bucaramanga | 18 | 32 | +13 |
| Independiente Santa Fe | 18 | 31 | +10 |
| Independiente Medellín | 18 | 29 | +3 |
| Millonarios | 18 | 27 | +9 |
| Once Caldas | 18 | 27 | +4 |
| Deportes Tolima | 18 | 26 | +2 |
| Águilas Doradas | 18 | 25 | +1 |
Independiente Medellín holds the most favorable position among the chasers with 29 points and needs only a draw against Águilas Doradas to advance noted MARCA. Millonarios will host Alianza FC in Bogotá, while Once Caldas travels to face Atlético Nacional in Medellín. Tolima visits Deportivo Cali, and Águilas Doradas plays Independiente Medellín.
The battle for the final three playoff positions involves Independiente Medellín with 29 points and a +3 goal difference, Millonarios with 27 points and a +9 goal difference, Once Caldas with 27 points and a +4 goal difference, Deportes Tolima with 26 points and a +2 goal difference, Águilas Doradas with 25 points and a +1 goal difference, and Cúcuta Deportivo with 24 points and a -5 goal difference.
Once Caldas secured a 1-0 victory against Águilas Doradas, leaving the Manizales club dependent on a victory against Atlético Nacional at the Atanasio Girardot stadium to qualify automatically. Cúcuta Deportivo suffered a severe setback following a 2-0 defeat against Junior de Barranquilla at the Romelio Martínez stadium, leaving their aspirations in a complicated position.
Dimayor scheduled the final round of the regular phase for November 12, 2026, after which a draw will determine the two semifinal groups of four teams each. The playoff structure maintains the home-and-away cuadrangulares format following a club vote in August that recorded 17 votes in favor and three against.
Tentative calendar projections set the six rounds of the semifinals to run from November 20 through December 8 or 9, with the two-legged final scheduled for December 12 and December 16, subject to final official confirmation by Dimayor.
