Atlético Nacional hosts Deportes Tolima at the Atanasio Girardot on Saturday, May 23, at 6:00 p.m., and Tolima arrives needing a goal after losing the first leg 1-0 in Ibagué. Anderson Angulo, who was expelled in the first match, will miss the return, leaving Tolima to chase the tie without their captain.
The single first-leg goal came from Gustavo Morelos, and the narrow margin means a single away strike would level the aggregate. Tolima travelled to Medellín with a 20-player squad and will try to overturn the 0-1 deficit under the lights; Win Sports+ will carry the broadcast live at 6:00 p.m.
The numbers underline why both teams feel the pressure. Atlético Nacional holds the aggregate advantage and finished the season first in the reclasificación with 49 points, while Tolima arrives after a bruising week that included a 3-0 loss to Coquimbo Unido in the Copa Libertadores. Those results and the missing skipper compress the margin for error in the return leg.
After the first game Tolima voices were sharp. Lucas González said: "este mismo árbitro nos pitó allá. Añadió 14 minutos y al final pitó un penal que el VAR tuvo que echar para atrás. Yo no sé por qué será." Sebastián Guzmán added: "sabía que esto iba a pasar, yo vengo de allá y sé cómo es, lastimosamente son cosas que no nos incumben, no se puede mencionar más, por lo que ya saben." The remarks feed an officiating controversy that will shadow the match in Medellín.
Context matters: the semifinal comes after a 1-0 first leg at the Manuel Murillo Toro stadium in Ibagué where Angulo’s expulsion changed Tolima’s standing in the tie. Tolima’s absence of their captain and the fatigue from international travel and competition deepen the tactical questions coach and players must answer in front of a hostile Atanasio Girardot crowd.
Tension in the tie is not new. Tolima has twice eliminated Atlético Nacional in Liga BetPlay knockout ties — in 2017 and again in 2018 — both times from the penalty spot. Those memories give Tolima belief that a comeback is possible, even on the road; they also add a layer of historic friction for Nacional to manage as it protects a slim lead.
Beyond the immediate semifinal, Atlético Nacional quietly marked another occasion on May 22, announcing that Macnelly Torres will have a farewell match at the Atanasio Girardot on July 26, 2026. The club’s calendar now carries both the semifinal obligation and a high-profile testimonial later this summer.
The clearest fault line heading into kickoff is simple: Atlético Nacional need only protect a one-goal advantage at home; Tolima must score away, without Angulo, and recover mentally from a 3-0 Libertadores defeat. With just 90 minutes separating the teams from a final, the referee’s decisions, squad depth and immediate form will decide whether history repeats or a new chapter opens.
Given the scoreline, the venue and Tolima’s depleted condition after the week’s results, Atlético Nacional enters the return leg in the stronger position; Tolima’s route to overturn that is narrow and urgent. The biggest question now is whether Tolima can find the single away goal it needs before the Atanasio Girardot crowd closes the door.
