Nacional and Medellin to Replay Copa BetPlay Final, This Time in a One-Off Quarterfinal

The draw showed no mercy, serving up a dish Antioquia fans already know by heart. Atletico Nacional and Independiente Medellin will meet in the quarterfinals of the Copa BetPlay, replaying nothing less than last edition's final. Once again the eternal rivals, once again the Antioquia derby squeezed into the schedule of a short tournament.

What makes this one different is the format: it will be a single match, with the venue confirmed as the Atanasio Girardot, the stadium both clubs call home. The reason has to do with how tight the domestic calendar became after Colombian soccer was paused following the August earthquake in the west of the country. With fewer dates available, there was no room for a home-and-away series, so everything will be settled in 90 minutes, or more, if needed.

The tentative date being floated is Wednesday, October 14, though official confirmation is still pending. What is already locked into the calendar is the league rematch: if nothing changes, Nacional and Medellin will face off again in the Colombian League on matchday 16, set for October 25. That means two derbies in just over a week. Antioquia will not have time to get bored.

Two Different Roads to Get Here

Both sides advanced with routs, though the paths looked different. Nacional sealed its spot with a convincing 3-0 win over Deportivo Cali, played right at the Atanasio Girardot, its fortress. The "Verde" did not even need to leave home to book its ticket.

Medellin, on the other hand, settled its business away from its fans: the club traveled to the south of the country and came back with a 4-1 win over Deportivo Pasto. A result that makes clear "El Poderoso" arrives at this matchup with real momentum, not by default, having closed out its series with authority on the road.

There is an extra storyline adding intrigue to the match: it could be the first head-to-head meeting between James Rodriguez and Juan Fernando Quintero in an Antioquia derby. Two Colombian national team standouts, each wearing his own colors, facing off in the stadium where both grew up as players. For the everyday fan, that alone is reason enough to circle the date.

What is clear is that this quarterfinal clash is no ordinary match on the calendar. It is the rematch of a recent final, it is Nacional against Medellin with everything that carries in the city, and it also serves as the appetizer for another derby arriving just eleven days later in the league. All of Antioquia will be breathing Antioquia soccer for much of October.