Quintero Exits Medellín's Win Over Jaguares with Left Leg Injury Scare

The celebration over the comeback didn't last long in Medellín. Winning 2-1 against Jaguares is one thing, but the image that stuck was something else entirely: Juan Fernando Quintero grabbing the upper part of his left leg and signaling to the bench that he couldn't continue.

It was the 38th minute of the first half at the Atanasio Girardot, with the score still tied 1-1, when the "Poderoso" captain asked to come off. There was no hiding it: he reached down to his left leg and let Alfredo Arias know he couldn't keep going. Yony González came on in his place and the match continued, though the concern among the fans had already set in.

What stands out is that Quintero had been an important piece in this start to the tournament. In this Liga Betplay season he had racked up five appearances, with one goal and one assist to his name, numbers that confirmed him as the guiding light of the team's midfield. Seeing him go down like that, grabbing his leg and unable to hide the pain, is exactly what no fan of the "rojo paisa" wanted to see.

The match, meanwhile, had its own story to tell. Jaguares had taken the lead, but Medellín responded with a goal from Agustín Martegani in the 32nd minute to level things up, and in the second half came the winner from Jhon Montaño in the 70th minute. That 2-1 result allowed DIM to pick up all three points and reach 19 points through nine matchdays, sitting in third place in the standings.

Now attention is split between the result and the medical report expected on the "10." The schedule, meanwhile, offers no breathing room: for matchday 12, Medellín will visit two-time defending champion Junior on Saturday, September 26 in Barranquilla, a demanding test for which fans are hoping to get clear word on their captain's availability before it arrives.