Atlético Nacional secured a comfortable 3-0 victory over Haaguares in the Clausura stage of Primera A. The visitors did not travel to make up the numbers, taking immediate control on Saturday evening. It was a result that reflected their position at the summit of the table.
And here's the thing, I still remember the mood twenty minutes in. M. Moreno opened the scoring in the seventh minute, catching the defence flat-footed. By then, Haaguares were chasing shadows and struggling to string passes together.
A. Morelos completed the tally in the 32nd minute before the break. To be fair, the hosts had a late protest, with J. Mejia ruled offside for a goal in the 87th minute. That moment came long after A. Roman was sent off in the 67th minute.
The statistics back up the narrative of domination. Atlético Nacional held 0.61 of the possession and created two big chances compared to none for the hosts. Haaguares fired 13 shots in total, including seven on target, yet failed to find the net. The goalkeeper saved seven times compared to three for the hosts, while expected goals stood at 0.94 for the home side and 0.86 for the visitors.
The league table now shows a significant divide. Atlético Nacional lead with 40 points from 19 games, extending their advantage over their rivals. Haaguares sit in 16th place with 18 points, following a run of defeats including losses to Deportivo Cali and Deportivo Pereira.