Antofagasta beat Deportes Iquique 4-1 in the Round of 16 of the Chile Cup on Saturday evening. The hosts took a commanding lead before the break and held on despite a late surge from the visitors. Two red cards in the final moments added drama to an evening that had already swung between control and chaos.
Antofagasta started the brighter. D. Orellana opened the scoring in the 44th minute, a moment that shifted the tempo. B. Hurtado doubled the advantage just before halftime, firing home in the 45th minute plus six. By then, the visitors were already scrambling to find their footing. The hosts worked the channels with confidence, and the lead felt earned.
Iquique made three changes at the interval, bringing on V. Saavedra, J. Ayala, and M. Lopez. The switch had an immediate effect. S. Leyton pulled one back in the 52nd minute, and suddenly the tie felt alive again. To be fair, the visitors created enough to believe, but their finishing lacked the sharpness that would have changed the game entirely.
Antofagasta restored their two-goal cushion in the 83rd minute through J. D. Bandez. The goal felt like a statement, a reminder of what the hosts were capable of when they had time on the ball. Iquique responded in the 89th minute with a goal from B. Tapia, but it came too late to alter the outcome. The late drama arrived in the form of two red cards — T. Jones for Iquique and C. Diaz for Antofagasta, both sent off in the 90th minute plus minutes.
The statistics tell a story of efficiency over volume. Antofagasta registered 14 shots on target compared to Iquique's four, while their shot accuracy of 58 per cent far exceeded the visitors' 33 per cent. The hosts completed 344 passes in the opposition half, creating 20 key passes and three big chances. Iquique managed only one big chance and struggled to break down the home defence, their 18 clearances revealing how often they were under pressure.
The result keeps Antofagasta's cup hopes alive and extends a modest run for the hosts, who had drawn their previous meeting with Iquique 1-1. The visitors, meanwhile, exit after a season that has seen them lose four of their last five league matches. The draw brought them together early, but this time the home side had the edge.
