Junior - Atlético Nacional Opens Final in Barranquilla at 7:30 p.m.
junior - atlético nacional opened the Liga BetPlay final in Barranquilla on Tuesday, with Atlético Nacional arriving for the first leg at the Romelio Martínez and Diego Arias leading the delegation. The match kicked off at 7:30 p.m., and Nacional entered the title series chasing its 19th league crown while Junior looked for a second straight championship.
Romelio Martínez hosts the opener
Nacional’s trip began in Medellín and ended with supporters greeting the squad in Barranquilla, where a traditional banderazo took place at the team hotel. The first leg was scheduled for Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at the Romelio Martínez, giving Nacional the first road setting in a series that starts away from Atanasio Girardot.
The matchup carries extra weight because it is the third Liga colombiana final between the clubs. Junior beat Nacional 3-0 in Barranquilla in the 2004 Torneo Finalización final, Nacional answered with a 5-2 win in Medellín, and Junior later edged the penalty shootout 5-4 at the Atanasio Girardot.
Diego Arias brings four absences
Diego Arias reached Barranquilla with four important absences on the roster. Dairon Asprilla was ruled out after a knee contusion that required surgery, Milton Casco was unavailable because of physical problems, Simón García had not fully recovered from the virosis that kept him out of the semifinal, and David Ospina was called up by the Colombia national team for the World Cup.
That leaves Nacional to manage the final’s opening leg without several familiar pieces after a convincing semifinal win over Deportes Tolima. The missing names matter because the travel and the crowd welcome came as the squad tried to settle quickly for a match that immediately tests its depth.
History between Junior and Nacional
The clubs have already met in major finals beyond league play. Nacional beat Junior in the Superliga in 2012 and again in the Copa Colombia final in 2016, then added the 2015 league title after Junior won the first leg in Barranquilla and Nacional responded in Medellín before lifting its 15th star. That history puts the current series into a familiar frame: both sides have beaten the other in high-stakes meetings, and both know the other can carry a final into penalties.
The return leg was scheduled for Monday, June 8, at the Atanasio Girardot, giving Nacional a chance to finish the series at home after starting it in Barranquilla. For Junior, the opener at the Romelio Martínez offered the first shot at extending a run toward back-to-back titles; for Nacional, the trip was the start of another push toward title 19.
