Ñublense Advances to Copa de la Liga Semifinals After Dramatic Win

Ñublense has secured a spot in the Copa de la Liga semifinals after a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Universidad de Concepción. The win propelled the Chillán-based team to the top of Group B, surpassing Universidad Católica in the standings.

Ignacio Jeraldino opened the scoring for Ñublense at the Estadio "Nelson Oyarzún" in the 35th minute. However, Universidad de Concepción, known as "Campanil," equalized early in the second half through Leonel González in the 49th minute. The match remained tightly contested until a pivotal moment in the 84th minute when Luis Rojas of Universidad de Concepción received a second yellow card, reducing his team to ten men.

Just a minute after the expulsion, Ñublense capitalized on the advantage. Diego Sanhueza scored the winning goal in the 85th minute, sealing the victory for his team. Ñublense concluded the group stage with an impressive 14 points, stemming from four wins and two draws.

With this win, Ñublense joins O'Higgins and Coquimbo Unido as confirmed semifinalists. The Copa de la Liga champion will earn a coveted spot in the Copa Libertadores. The final group stage matches will be played on Sunday, after which the semifinal pairings will be determined.