Rafael Dudamel is set to make four changes to Deportivo Cali’s starting lineup for Sunday’s meeting with Boyacá Chicó, a match that still matters in the race for the punto invisible even if the visitors arrive already relegated.
Deportivo Cali will receive Boyacá Chicó at Palmaseca on Sunday, November 1, 2026, at 4:05 p.m. The timing matters because Cali remain in the hunt for the sporting advantage that comes with a top-two finish in Liga Betplay II-2026, and every selection decision now feeds into that push.
Why the match still matters
Boyacá Chicó’s 1-1 draw with Atlético Junior this week confirmed relegation to the B division, which changes the feel of the fixture. For Chicó, it is a calendar obligation. For Deportivo Cali, it is a chance to keep pressure on the teams above them and stay in the conversation for the point advantage that can shape the cuadrangulares.
Cali are third with 30 points, three behind América and five behind Atlético Nacional. That is the table context behind Dudamel’s call to alter the side, with the coach looking to balance freshness, control and the need to keep momentum in a closing stretch where margins are tight.
Four changes, with three in defence
The biggest note from the team news is the scale of the adjustment. Dudamel plans four changes, and three of them are in defence. That is a clear sign he wants a different look at the back, not just a light rotation for rotation’s sake.
José Caldera and Edwin Velasco are among the names involved in the defensive reshuffle, with Keimer Sandoval also part of the planned changes. The fourth alteration gives Dudamel another way to rework the balance of the team before a home fixture that should be controlled, but cannot be taken lightly.
In that sense, the selection is less about drama than discipline. Deportivo Cali do not need a statement performance as much as a professional one, one that keeps them close enough to América and Atlético Nacional to preserve their chances of the punto invisible.
And with the game set for Palmaseca in the Liga Betplay II, the message is straightforward: even a match against a relegated opponent still carries real value when the table is this tight.
