Santa Fe and Deportivo Cali battle for a top-eight spot at El Campin

Just one point separates Santa Fe and Deportivo Cali in the standings, and that alone gives this matchup at El Campin a special edge. On Tuesday, September 22, starting at 8:00 p.m., the two sides are playing for more than three points: they're playing to secure their place among the top eight in Matchday 12 of the Liga BetPlay. The match will air on WIN.

What stands out is how each team arrives. Neither was in great form a month ago, but both turned things around just when they needed to most. Santa Fe won three of its last four matches, while Deportivo Cali picked up two wins in its last four outings. Not bad at all for two teams that had question marks hanging over them.

A Santa Fe that shook off its Copa heartbreak

The Cardinals still had the sting of elimination from the Copa Sudamericana fresh in their minds when they took the field in Valledupar. The response couldn't have been better: a 4-1 thrashing of Alianza, with the forwards finally finding the back of the net and captain Hugo Rodallega capping it off with a long-range strike for the ages. Uruguayan coach Pablo Repetto summed it up after the match:

We knew it would be a tough game. We were coming off a bitter taste in the Cup, even though we valued the effort we'd put in, and we knew we had to fight for this one.Pablo Repetto

Looking ahead to the clash with Cali, Repetto already has his mind set on what's next. "We're strong as a team. There's not much point looking back, we have to think about Cali," the coach said, making clear the past is already behind them.

Cali left the crisis behind and climbed into the playoff zone

On the other side, Deportivo Cali had been dealing with growing doubts around Rafael Dudamel's tenure. Two straight wins changed the outlook, and the Cali side now sits eighth with 15 points, one behind Santa Fe. On the road this season, Cali's record has been a mixed bag: two wins, one draw and two losses, so they don't arrive as a team that's comfortable away from home, but they're not one to shrink from the moment either.

Up front, there are two names worth watching closely. On the home side, Nahuel Bustos is riding a hot streak, having scored in back-to-back matches in the FPC, including a brace in that rout of Alianza. On the visiting side, Eduard Bello also broke out with two goals in a commanding 3-0 win over Cucuta Deportivo in Palmaseca. If either one shows up again, it could tip the balance.

The most recent meeting between the two hints at another tight contest: on March 18, they played to a 1-1 draw, with goals from Julian Quinones and Rodallega himself. This time, with the standings bunched up and both sides hungry to hold their ground in the top eight, El Campin promises another closely fought chapter.