Popayán and Envigado played out a 2:2 draw in the eighth round of the Clausura stage of Primera B on Saturday evening. The result leaves the hosts still rooted in 13th place with 18 points, while Envigado remain fourth with 49 points. We had backed the visitors to win with moderate confidence, but the match refused to follow that script.
Popayán struck first through M. Marulanda in the 30th minute, and Envigado responded quickly via D. Dawson before half-time. P. Urrutia restored the home side's lead just before the interval, only for G. Cuervo to turn the game on its head with an own goal in the 51st minute. Things came to a head late on as four yellow cards appeared in the closing minutes alone.
To be fair, the statistics tell a familiar story. Popayán have won three, drawn nine and lost nine of their 21 games this season, while Envigado's record of 14 victories from 29 matches looks respectable on paper. Both sides have been struggling recently, with Popayán losing three of their last four and Envigado failing to score in two of their five most recent outings.
By then, the match had settled into something neither side expected. The visitors had dominated possession in their previous encounters, but this time Popayán kept their side in it through moments of organisation rather than flair. The own goal was the turning point — not that anyone could have predicted Cuervo would find himself in that position.
The result means Popayán remain eight points clear of the drop zone, while Envigado hold a 28-point cushion over the teams below them. Neither side has much to play for at this stage, but the old head in the Popayán dressing room must have seen the game out with relief rather than disappointment.
