CALI (Interstat) — Boca Juniors and visiting U. Magdalena played to a 1-1 draw Thursday in a Colombian second-division match, with each side scoring once in the first half and neither finding a winner after the break. Boca Juniors, the home side, went ahead in the 12th minute when J. Aponza scored. U. Magdalena responded in the 42nd minute through John Lerma, and the teams remained level through the second half. The scoreline held through the final whistle after a competitive closing period in which both teams made their adjustments and the match tightened. The fixture counted in the competition records for both clubs.

Aponza played all 90 minutes and scored once for Boca Juniors. Lerma also played the full match and scored once for U. Magdalena. The goals came in the order that shaped the contest, with Aponza’s early strike giving Boca Juniors the lead and Lerma’s finish before halftime pulling U. Magdalena even. Boca Juniors looked to reclaim the advantage after the interval, while U. Magdalena sought to turn the equalizer into a winning run. Neither side could produce the decisive finish, and the match settled into a draw. The first-half goals accounted for all the scoring.

U. Magdalena made two substitutions in the 36th minute, with Pimienta J. and Iguaran C. entering the match. The disciplinary record included a yellow card for Boca Juniors in the 69th minute and yellow cards for U. Magdalena in the 81st and 83rd minutes. The bookings added to the late tension as the teams competed for a winning goal. No further goals followed after Lerma’s equalizer, leaving both sides with a share of the points. The substitutions were the only changes listed for the match.

The draw moved U. Magdalena to two wins, no losses and three draws in the competition. Its record across all competitions is also two wins, no losses and three draws. Boca Juniors is now one win, three losses and one draw in the competition, and its record across all competitions is the same: one win, three losses and one draw. The draw was the fifth competition match for both teams this season. U. Magdalena remained unbeaten in five league matches, while Boca Juniors picked up its first draw to go with one win and three losses.

U. Magdalena had entered the match after a 1-0 home win over Atletico F.C., a 1-0 road win at Inter Palmira, a 1-1 home draw with Ind. Valle del Cauca and a 2-2 home draw with Leones. Boca Juniors had beaten Inter Palmira 2-1 at home, lost 0-3 at Ind. Valle del Cauca, lost 0-1 at home to Atletico F.C. and lost 0-1 at Orsomarso. U. Magdalena’s two wins came against Atletico F.C. and Inter Palmira, and its draws came against Ind. Valle del Cauca, Leones and Boca Juniors. Boca Juniors’ win came against Inter Palmira, and its losses came against Ind. Valle del Cauca, Atletico F.C. and Orsomarso.

Boca Juniors’ goal came early when Aponza finished in the 12th minute. U. Magdalena’s equalizer arrived three minutes before halftime when Lerma scored in the 42nd. The first half ended level, and the second half brought the two U. Magdalena substitutions, the three yellow cards and no change to the score. Boca Juniors pushed for a second goal, but U. Magdalena held its line and kept the match level. The final whistle left Boca Juniors with a draw at home and U. Magdalena with a point on the road.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of U. Magdalena 2, Boca Juniors 1. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Boca Juniors with a 58.5% probability to win. U. Magdalena had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -0.5. The total score of 2 went over the over/under line of 2.5.