Atletico Nacional made light work of Alianza Petrolera in the Clausura, running out 5-1 winners at the Estadio Armando Maestre Pavajeau on Saturday evening. The visitors have now gone four matches unbeaten and remain top of the table, while the hosts continue to struggle near the bottom.
The opening goal arrived early, with A. Sarmiento firing past the keeper in the fifth minute. Alianza pushed back and had their chances, but it was Nacional who doubled the lead shortly before the quarter-hour mark. A. Morelos found the net in the 19th minute, and by then the visitors looked comfortable.
M. Moreno added a second in the 24th minute before F. Pardo converted a penalty in the 34th minute. The hosts pulled one back through J. Rosa in stoppage time, but the result was never really in doubt after that first half.
There were plenty of changes on both sides, with S. Velasquez and E. W. Meza Mercado coming on for the hosts at the break. Nacional brought on E. Cardona and Y. A. Perlaza Perea in the 61st minute, while C. Vergara and F. Pardo were replaced at the hour mark.
The statistics tell the story of a one-sided affair. Nacional enjoyed 63 per cent possession and registered 21 shots to Alianza's seven, with 14 on target compared to just two. Expected goals stood at 2.79 for the visitors against 1.09, a gap that reflected the quality of chances created.
Alianza had 65 attacks compared to 87 for the visitors, but their accuracy was poor. Only one big chance was created by the home side, while Nacional produced three. The hosts made 39 backward passes and lost 69 balls, suggesting a team under pressure.
The result leaves Alianza in 17th place with 19 points from 19 matches. Nacional sit on 40 points at the summit, having won 13 of their 19 games so far. They now have a comfortable cushion at the top heading into the final rounds.