MANIZALES (Interstat) — Once Caldas and Pereira played to a 1-1 draw on Saturday at Estadio Palogrande, a match that turned late when Once Caldas took the lead in the 81st minute and Pereira answered in the 90th before both sides finished with 10 players. The result left both teams unbeaten in the competition.

Neither team scored in the first half. The match remained scoreless until Once Caldas finally broke through in the 81st minute, when Michael Barrios set up Edwin Torres. Barrios played the full 90 minutes and recorded the assist. Torres, who was on the field for 17 minutes, scored the opening goal. The goal gave the home side a late advantage and put Once Caldas in position to take all three points. The opening goal came after a long scoreless stretch and changed the late shape of the match.

Pereira responded in the 90th minute when Yuber Quinones scored, with A. Bermudez Correa J. credited with the assist. Quinones, who played 25 minutes, also received a yellow card in the 85th minute. Bermudez Correa, who played 33 minutes, was booked in the 69th minute. The equalizer arrived just as Once Caldas appeared set to close out the win. Pereira’s answer came in the final minute of regulation and denied Once Caldas a home win.

The match grew increasingly physical after a scoreless first half. Once Caldas’s A. Colorado was booked in the 48th minute. Pereira’s S. Urrea received a yellow card in the 60th, and Bermudez Correa followed in the 69th. Once Caldas’s J. Cardona was booked in the 72nd, J. A. Zapata Ramirez in the 83rd and J. Patino in the 85th. Pereira’s Quinones was also booked in the 85th. Once Caldas received four yellow cards and Pereira three. The match featured two goals, seven yellow cards and two red cards. The teams combined for nine cards overall.

The late tension spilled into stoppage time. Once Caldas’s M. Zuleta and Pereira’s S. Zuluaga were both sent off in the second minute of second-half stoppage time, leaving both teams with 10 players. The red cards came after the equalizer and added a final chaotic stretch to a game that had remained tight throughout. The dismissals were the last major events of the match. Neither side found a winner after the equalizer.

Once Caldas had earlier substitutions, including J. Quinones at halftime, P. Gomez in the 73rd and Zapata Ramirez in the 83rd. Pereira made changes in the 57th minute with E. Moreno and M. Perez, in the 65th with A. Plata and in the 90th with J. Largacha. The adjustments did not produce another goal beyond the two late strikes. Once Caldas used three substitutions; Pereira used four.

The draw moved Pereira to 1-0-3 in the competition and 1-0-3 across all competitions. Once Caldas is now 2-0-2 in the competition and 2-0-3 across all competitions. Both teams have played four competition matches this season. Pereira entered the match after a 2-0 win over Chico and draws with Junior and Dep. Cali. Once Caldas entered after a scoreless draw at Santa Fe, a 2-0 win at Ind. Medellin, a 1-1 draw at Millonarios and a 1-0 home win over Llaneros. Both teams remained without a loss in this competition and across all competitions. The draw added another point to each side’s season record.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Once Caldas 1, Pereira 1. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Once Caldas with a 70.7 percent probability to win. Once Caldas had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -1.5. The total score of 2 went over the over/under line of 2.5.