Junior hosts Medellin with Teofilo Gutierrez on fire and eager to climb out of last place

The Romelio Martinez is gearing up for a match with a different flavor than the last few weeks. This Saturday, September 26, starting at 8:20 p.m. (Colombia time), Junior hosts Independiente Medellin for matchday 12 of the 2026-II BetPlay League, and for the first time in a while the Shark arrives with a smile on its face. The match will be broadcast on WIN+.

Why does this game matter so much for Junior? Because the club was stuck in a rough patch and finally managed to snap it. Now the goal is not to settle for a single isolated win: they need to string results together to escape the bottom of the standings and, at the same time, stay within reach of the fight for one of the eight spots in the semifinal round-robin. Medellin's aim is different: a win in Barranquilla would pull it right behind league leader America and bring qualification much closer.

The names to watch

For Junior, all eyes are on Teofilo Gutierrez. The experienced forward scored against Fortaleza and already has two goals so far this season, arriving at just the moment the team needed someone to step up. On the other side, the name to watch is Jhon Montano, who has become DIM's biggest offensive weapon with 5 goals in this 2026-II League.

The standings explain why this matchup carries so much weight. Junior arrives in last place with 6 points, though buoyed by the momentum of a 4-1 rout of Fortaleza in Bogota. Medellin, meanwhile, sits comfortably in fourth place with 19 points after beating Jaguares 2-1 at home. These are two opposite realities about to collide on the same field, and that contrast is exactly what makes this game so intriguing.

Recent history between the two sides also favors the team on the better run of form: the last time they met, in March 2026, Medellin won 2-0. Junior will have the chance to flip that script playing at home, in front of its fans, with Teo in top form.

For the Shark, a win would mean more than just three points: it would confirm that the bad stretch is truly behind them. For DIM, meanwhile, the challenge is to keep riding its good form and not let points slip away against a team that, despite sitting last, has already shown it can do damage up front with Teofilo Gutierrez in scoring mode.