James Rodríguez Waits for His Second Chance with Nacional Against Llaneros

James Rodríguez has pulled the Atlético Nacional jersey back on, and the excitement around the club is still very much alive. Now fans are wondering whether the No. 10 will get another opportunity on Sunday, September 20, this time against Llaneros, at Bello Horizonte-Rey Pelé Stadium, in matchday 11 of the 2026-II BetPlay League. Kickoff is set for 8:15 p.m. (Colombia time), with the match airing live on WIN.

James's debut in Nacional colors did not go unnoticed. He came on as a substitute for Juan Rengifo, played 31 minutes, and that was all he needed to make his mark, setting up Juan Manuel Zapata for the goal that sealed Nacional's win at El Campín against Inter. Brief, but enough to get the whole city talking about him again.

His coach, Lucas González, made no secret of what it means to have James on the roster. After that match in Bogotá, the manager was full of praise for the midfielder from Cúcuta.

I think the legacy James has built in Colombian soccer, especially at the national team level and representing us abroad, is already immense, and it will be hard to match in the next fifty years. We're fortunate to have him here with us. Watching him live is different from watching him on TV. When he touches the ball, the ball seems to like being handled by him. It feels different.Lucas González

A Rival That Can Also Cause Trouble

The spotlight won't be entirely on James, though. Llaneros has its own offensive weapon in Néider Ospina. The 23-year-old midfielder is on a hot streak, scoring in his last two matches, and has racked up 4 goals and an assist so far this season. Not bad for a team that has otherwise struggled lately.

The home side arrives in rough shape, having dropped four straight games in the tournament, most recently a 3-2 loss to Internacional de Bogotá that left them in eleventh place with 11 points from 9 matches. Nacional, on the other hand, is in a completely different place: they've won their last five league matches, including that same 3-2 win over Internacional de Bogotá, and sit second in the standings with 18 points from 7 matches.

The recent head-to-head record also favors the Verdolaga. On March 13, Nacional beat Llaneros 2-0 with goals from Mateus Uribe and Eduard Bello, a result that stands out even more now that the Antioquian side is enjoying its best stretch of the season.

With such contrasting form on both sides, and James Rodríguez waiting for his turn from the bench, Sunday's match at Bello Horizonte-Rey Pelé promises more than just three points on the line. It offers the chance, even if only for a few minutes, to see whether No. 23 gets to touch the ball again, the one that, according to his coach, seems to like being handled by him.