Deportivo Cali Rescues Draw in Final Minute as Leyser Chaverra Converts Penalty Against Bucaramanga

Titi Rodríguez had missed a penalty before halftime. Cali had been trailing for nearly the entire second half. And yet, on the final play of the match, the Valle del Cauca side found a way to avoid defeat. That sums up an afternoon that ended in complaints, shoving and two red cards at Estadio Deportivo Cali, in matchday 8 of the 2026-II BetPlay League.

The final score was 1-1 between Deportivo Cali and Atlético Bucaramanga, and the equalizer arrived in the 96th minute, from the penalty spot, after a handball by Londoño inside the box that the referee did not hesitate to call.

The match had opened with the home side taking control. Titi Rodríguez and Keimer Sandoval created the first clear chances for Cali, while Bucaramanga looked to counter with Félix Charrupí and Leonardo Flores pushing for depth out wide. In one of those back and forth stretches, in the 41st minute, the referee awarded a penalty to Cali, but goalkeeper Fiermarín saved Titi Rodríguez's attempt and the score remained level at halftime.

Batalla Changes the Complexion of the Match

In the second half, Bucaramanga came out with renewed confidence and found their sharpest player in Emerson Batalla. It was Batalla who delivered the cross that José García headed home to make it 1-0 for the Santander side. Batalla later had another dangerous shot that forced goalkeeper Gallese into action.

Cali did not give up. With substitutions and persistence from players like Leyser Chaverra, José Caldera and Nicolás Benedetti, the Cali side kept pushing on all fronts, though without reward until the very end. It wasn't until the 96th minute, with defeat already looming, that Londoño's handball in the box gave the match new life through a penalty.

Chaverra took responsibility and struck the penalty with a finish that wasn't entirely firm, close enough that Fiermarín nearly guessed the right side. But the ball went in and the stadium erupted in stoppage time.

Late Flare-Up and Two Red Cards

The equalizer did not sit well on the visitors' bench. Bucaramanga coach Pablo Peirano stepped onto the field amid the protests and a scuffle broke out that ended with the ejections of José García and Keimer Sandoval, two of the players who had been most involved in their teams' attacks throughout the match.

With this draw, Deportivo Cali moved to 8 points and sits ninth in the standings, while Atlético Bucaramanga remained seventh with 10 points. A point that tastes different for each side: for Cali it felt like a win given how it came about, while Bucaramanga was left with the bitter taste of letting victory slip away in the final minute.