MEDELLIN (Interstat) — Elias Cabrera scored in the 24th minute off an assist from Andres Sarmiento, and Atl. Nacional went on to beat Santa Fe 2-0 on Thursday in Colombian league play. Atl. Nacional improved to 4-1 in this competition and 5-1 across all competitions. Santa Fe fell to 1-2 in the competition and 2-2-1 overall. The home side made its early breakthrough stand, while Santa Fe could not convert its chances into a goal. Atl. Nacional’s victory came in a match that featured seven yellow cards and a series of second-half changes. The visitors finished the match without a goal and were unable to build on their recent results.

The opening goal came after Santa Fe had already collected two yellow cards. K.D. Toscano Bassa was booked in the 16th minute and V. Moreno followed in the 22nd. Atl. Nacional’s A. Roman was cautioned in the 38th minute. Cabrera’s finish gave the home side the lead, and Sarmiento’s assist was the key attacking contribution of the first half. Cabrera finished with one goal in 74 minutes, while Sarmiento recorded one assist in 63 minutes. The early bookings set a physical tone, with Santa Fe picking up two yellow cards before Cabrera’s goal. Atl. Nacional’s early pressure produced the decisive moment, and Santa Fe’s attempts to respond were repeatedly interrupted by fouls and stoppages. Santa Fe had scored in two of its previous four matches but was held without a goal in this one.

Atl. Nacional protected its advantage after the break and kept Santa Fe from finding a response. The match grew more physical in the second half. Santa Fe’s J. Obrian was booked in the 69th minute, Atl. Nacional’s F. Marin in the 71st, Santa Fe’s F. Fagundez in the 83rd and Atl. Nacional’s E. Benitez in the 84th. Both teams made changes. Santa Fe used a three-player substitution in the 58th minute involving M. Puerta, K.D. Toscano Bassa and A. Zapata. Santa Fe also made a change in the 68th minute with M. Lovera and another in the 82nd minute with J. Torres. Atl. Nacional made substitutions in the 63rd minute with J. Rodriguez and A. Sarmiento, in the 74th minute with E. Cabrera and S. Velasquez, and in the 80th minute with J. Rengifo. The card count reached seven by the 84th minute, and the final minutes passed without a Santa Fe goal. Atl. Nacional’s substitutions helped it manage the closing stages, while Santa Fe’s changes sought to spark a comeback that did not materialize.

The win continued a productive stretch for Atl. Nacional, which had won four of its previous five matches across all competitions. That run included a 2-1 home victory over Ind. Medellin, a 3-0 home win over AD Pasto, a 4-1 win at Chico and a 3-2 home win over Ind. Medellin, with a 1-0 loss at Cucuta. Santa Fe had won two of its previous four, with a 2-1 home win over Bucaramanga and a 3-2 home win over Fortaleza, along with a scoreless draw against Once Caldas and a 1-0 loss at Llaneros. Atl. Nacional’s overall record now stands at 5-1, while Santa Fe is 2-2-1 across all competitions. Atl. Nacional also holds a 4-1 record in this competition, while Santa Fe is 1-2. The result kept Atl. Nacional’s overall form intact and left Santa Fe searching for another win in the competition.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a 1-1 final. Interstat’s ELO system gave Atl. Nacional a 62.9 percent probability to win. Atl. Nacional was installed as the pregame favorite with a spread of -1.25. The total score of 2 went over the over/under line of 3.75.