IBAGUÉ (Interstat) — Deportes Tolima erased an early deficit and defeated Millonarios 2-1 on Sunday at Estadio Manuel Murillo Toro, with K. Florez and Ever Valencia providing the goals that overturned Juan Cuadrado’s eighth-minute opener. The home side had to navigate a tense finish after a late red card, but Tolima protected its one-goal advantage through the final whistle.

Millonarios started brightly and took the lead in the eighth minute when Cuadrado scored. Cuadrado, who played 86 minutes, also received a yellow card in the 27th minute before being substituted in the 86th. The match grew physical early: Tolima’s E. Martinez Yepez H. was booked in the ninth minute, and Millonarios collected yellow cards through M. Garcia in the 14th, S. Vega in the 18th and Cuadrado in the 27th. Tolima’s J. Hernandez was booked in first-half stoppage time, and Millonarios’ S. Mosquera followed in the third minute of first-half stoppage time. The flurry of cards did not disrupt Tolima’s response, which arrived before the break.

Tolima responded in the 36th minute through Florez, who played the full match, scored once and was booked in the 46th minute. Florez’s goal leveled the game before halftime and shifted the match’s momentum. Tolima’s E. Martinez Yepez H. recorded an assist and a yellow card in 56 minutes, while Valencia scored in 56 minutes. Millonarios made substitutions in the 29th, 46th, 46th, 86th and 90+1st minutes. Tolima made changes in the 56th, 56th, 65th, 80th and 80th minutes. The second half brought more cards and a late dismissal.

J. Mosquera was booked in the 75th minute and L. Sandoval in the 82nd for Tolima. Tolima’s S. Aguayo was sent off in the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time, leaving the hosts to close out the win with 10 players. Millonarios could not find a second goal after Cuadrado’s early strike, and Tolima’s defense held through the final minutes. Millonarios pressed for an equalizer, but the visitors’ attempts to extend the game were met by a Tolima side content to protect its lead. The hosts’ late red card forced them to defend deep for the final moments.

Florez finished with a goal and a booking in a full 90-minute appearance. Valencia scored in 56 minutes. Cuadrado scored and was booked in 86 minutes for Millonarios. Martinez Yepez had an assist and a yellow card in 56 minutes. The result leaves Millonarios at 1-1-3 in the competition and across all competitions. Tolima is 2-3 in the competition and across all competitions. Millonarios’ recent results included a scoreless draw with America De Cali, a 4-1 home win over Jaguares de Cordoba, a 1-1 draw with Once Caldas and a 1-1 draw at Fortaleza. Tolima had beaten Pereira 3-1 on the road but also lost to AD Pasto, Aguilas and Jaguares de Cordoba in recent league matches. The result gave Tolima its second win and Millonarios its first loss in the competition.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a 1-1 final score. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Deportes Tolima with a 64.4 percent probability to win, and Tolima had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -0.5. The total score of 3 went under the over/under line of 2.5.