MONTEVIDEO (Interstat) — Colon defeated Atenas 1-0 on Sunday at Parque Palermo, with Bruno Airaldi scoring in second-half stoppage time to settle a match that remained scoreless deep into the final minutes. The goal came in the 90th minute plus three, giving host Colon the only goal of the game after Atenas had kept Colon off the scoreboard through regulation. Colon improved to 3-1-1 in the competition and 3-1-1 across all competitions. Atenas moved to 2-2-1 in the competition and 2-2-1 across all competitions. The result was decided by the final meaningful attack of the match, and Atenas had no time to produce an equalizer.

Colon entered the match after a 3-2 loss at Paysandu FC in its previous outing, while Atenas arrived following a 4-0 win over Fenix. Colon had beaten Huracan FC 3-0 at home, won 3-1 at Uruguay Montevideo and played Oriental to a 0-0 draw earlier in the campaign. Those results had left Colon with two wins, one loss and one draw before Sunday’s match. Atenas had opened its competition schedule with a 1-0 win at Tacuarembo, drawn 1-1 with Miramar at home, lost 3-0 at Rentistas and then beaten Fenix 4-0 at home. The visitors therefore carried a two-win, one-loss and one-draw mark into the game before the defeat at Parque Palermo.

The first half and much of the second half passed without a goal, as Atenas defended against Colon’s search for the opener. Colon kept the ball in the attacking half for stretches and looked for a way through a compact Atenas side, while the visitors sought to slow the match and protect the scoreless position. Neither team found the finishing touch during regulation, and the contest moved into stoppage time with the deadlock intact. The teams returned from the interval with the score unchanged, and Colon continued to probe while Atenas concentrated on denying space near its penalty area. The visitors remained organized at the back, and Colon kept pressing for the opening goal as the second half wore on. The deadlock held until very late.

Airaldi finished with one goal in 90 minutes, providing the breakthrough that separated the teams. His goal arrived in the third minute of second-half stoppage time, turning a scoreless match into a Colon victory. Atenas could not answer after falling behind, and the final whistle preserved Colon’s one-goal win. The result gave Colon its third win of the competition season and handed Atenas its second loss. Colon’s record in the competition is now 3 wins, 1 loss and 1 draw, while Atenas’ record in the competition is now 2 wins, 2 losses and 1 draw. Both teams hold identical marks across all competitions.

The match remained scoreless until Airaldi’s stoppage-time goal, when Colon turned a long defensive effort into the game’s only scoring play. Atenas had entered as the visiting team and departed without a goal, while Colon made the single goal stand as the difference at Parque Palermo. Colon’s previous results this season included the loss at Paysandu FC, the win over Huracan FC, the victory at Uruguay Montevideo and the draw with Oriental. Atenas’ previous results included the win at Tacuarembo, the draw with Miramar, the loss at Rentistas and the win over Fenix. The final margin reflected the narrow nature of a match that was not settled until the closing moments.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Colon 1, Atenas 1. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Colon with a 71.3 percent probability to win. Atenas had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -0.5. The total score of 1 went over the over/under line of 2.5.