Dayro Moreno (Once Caldas) disputes a ball with William Tesillo (Atlético Nacional) in the BetPlay Cup.
Photo: Atlético Nacional
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Atlético Nacional took an important step towards the semifinals of the BetPlay 2025 Cup, a tournament of which it is defending champion, by beating Once Caldas 1-0 this Thursday at the Palogrande stadium in Manizales, in the first leg of the quarterfinals.
The purslane team, led by Diego Arias, took advantage of a shot from the penalty spot at the start of the second half to win a hard-fought victory that allows them to reach the return match at the Atanasio Girardot with an advantage.
The night in the Caldense capital was marked by an emotional atmosphere. Before the start, the white club paid tribute to Dayro Moreno, who reached 400 games wearing the Once Caldas shirt, the club in which he debuted as a professional more than 20 years ago.
Thank you for every ball fought, for every celebration, for continuing to leave everything as if it were the first game 🥹
Dayro, eternal on the field and in the hearts of the fan!#MyLifeMyTeam pic.twitter.com/Sbui6D0aOf
— 🏆 Once Caldas ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@oncecaldas) October 10, 2025
The all-time top scorer in Colombian soccer received a special shirt, the ovation of the Manizale public and the recognition of his teammates. The celebration was not complete, as the Tolima striker failed to score on this special day.
The place was the one he searched for the most. Once Caldas generated several approaches with mid-distance shots and dangerous crosses, but ran into a confident Luis Marquinez between the three posts. The man from Nariño recorded at least nine timely interventions to keep his goal undefeated.
The only goal of the match came just after the start of the complement. In a quick play on the right, Alfredo Morelos sent a cross that hit Jéider Riquett's hand inside the area. After reviewing the action, referee José Ortiz awarded a penalty.
Edwin Cardona assumed responsibility for the collection. The Antioquian midfielder transformed the victory into the final 1-0 that unevented the score and the aggregate. The team led by Hernán Darío Herrera tried to react but failed. The return duel, in Medellín, does not yet have a confirmed date.
For now, the only one qualified for the semifinals is Independiente Medellín, which eliminated Santa Fe and awaits a rival between Pereira and Envigado (2-1 for the oranges). In the other key, América and Junior will define their step on October 15 in Cali, after the scarlet victory in Barranquilla (2-1).
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