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Deportivo Cali Beats Llaneros 3-0, Takes Over Liga BetPlay Lead
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In brief
Deportivo Cali defeated Llaneros FC 3-0 away in Villavicencio on October 21, 2026, in a rescheduled matchday-9 fixture of the Liga BetPlay 2026-II in Colombia. The result put Cali atop the standings with 29 points, one ahead of América de Cali, and all but secured a spot in the semifinal "cuadrangulares" group stage.
Deportivo Cali beat Llaneros FC 3-0 on the road at the Estadio Bello Horizonte "Rey Pelé" in Villavicencio, in a fixture from matchday 9 of the Colombian Liga BetPlay 2026-II that had been postponed and played later than the rest of the round, according to eldeportivo.com.co.
The win lifted Deportivo Cali to first place in the overall standings with 29 points and a +14 goal difference, overtaking América de Cali, which had 28 points and a +16 goal difference, El País reported. El País noted it was the first time Cali had led the Colombian league table since early 2021.
How the goals came
Johan Martínez opened the scoring with an assist from Daniel Giraldo, in a goal placed around the 10th–11th minute by eldeportivo.com.co, El Tiempo and Win Sports; El País described the same play without specifying the minute. Midfielder Nicolás Benedetti then converted a direct free kick — sources differ slightly on the minute, with eldeportivo.com.co and El País citing the 22nd minute and Win Sports citing the 21st — curling a right-footed shot past the Llaneros goalkeeper near the right post.
Steven "Titi" Rodríguez added a third goal in the 63rd minute, as reported by eldeportivo.com.co and El País. El Tiempo also noted that forward Carlos Bacca had a separate goal for Cali disallowed for offside later in the match.
Llaneros finished the match with ten men after defender Howell Mena was sent off for a second yellow card; El País placed the red card in the 80th minute, while El Tiempo described it as coming with about ten minutes left to play.
New top of the table
The result also carried heavy consequences at the other end of the table. Llaneros dropped to 17 points with a -4 goal difference — placed 13th by eldeportivo.com.co and 12th by El País — a result both outlets described as leaving the team practically eliminated from qualification for the knockout rounds.
| Team | Points | Goal difference | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deportivo Cali | 29 | +14 | 1st |
| América de Cali | 28 | +16 | 2nd |
| Llaneros FC | 17 | -4 | 12th–13th (sources differ) |
What the win means for the cuadrangulares
eldeportivo.com.co reported that the victory let Deportivo Cali "officially secure" its place in the semifinal group stage, known in Colombian football as the cuadrangulares. El Tiempo and El País, by contrast, described Cali as close to but not yet mathematically assured of qualification for that next phase, a more cautious framing of the same development.
Deportivo Cali's lead is provisional, as several other matchday-9 fixtures were still to be completed at the time of reporting, El Tiempo noted.
What's next
According to eldeportivo.com.co, Deportivo Cali's next match is away against Fortaleza FC on October 25 at 2:00 p.m. local time, while Llaneros hosts Jaguares de Córdoba on October 26 at 6:00 p.m. local time.
Questions
- What was the final score between Deportivo Cali and Llaneros?
- Deportivo Cali won 3-0 away at Llaneros FC, with goals from Johan Martínez, Nicolás Benedetti and Steven Rodríguez, according to eldeportivo.com.co and El País.
- Why is Deportivo Cali now the leader of the Liga BetPlay?
- The 3-0 win raised Cali to 29 points with a +14 goal difference, one point ahead of América de Cali's 28 points, as reported by El País and El Tiempo.
- Has Deportivo Cali qualified for the cuadrangulares (semifinal group stage)?
- eldeportivo.com.co reported that the win officially secured Cali's cuadrangulares spot, while El Tiempo and El País described the team as very close to confirming mathematical qualification.
- What happens to Llaneros FC after this result?
- Llaneros fell to 17 points with a -4 goal difference, a position both El País and eldeportivo.com.co described as leaving the club practically eliminated from the next round.
- When do Deportivo Cali and Llaneros play next?
- Per eldeportivo.com.co, Cali visits Fortaleza FC on October 25 at 2:00 p.m., and Llaneros hosts Jaguares de Córdoba on October 26 at 6:00 p.m., both local time.
How the world is telling it
- SpanishColombian outlets (El País, El Tiempo, eldeportivo.com.co, Win Sports) frame the result mainly around the symbolic return of Deportivo Cali to the top of the table after roughly five years, and around the near-certain cuadrangulares qualification, with less emphasis on Llaneros' near-elimination.
Sources
- El Deportivo — Cali aseguró su cupo a cuadrangulares tras vencer a Llaneros
- Win Sports — Benedetti saca la magia: gol de tiro libre para Deportivo Cali
- El País (Cali) — Deportivo Cali goleó a Llaneros en Villavicencio y asumió el liderato de la Liga BetPlay Dimayor
- El Tiempo — Deportivo Cali se trepa al liderato de la Liga BetPlay tras golear a Llaneros
This piece was prepared with artificial intelligence and passed an automated source check before publication. If you see an error, ask for a correction. Request a correction or reply · How we make this
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