CD Junior de Barranquilla (home)
- CD Junior de Barranquilla have the slight advantage heading into the second leg of this Primera A 2026 Apertura quarter-final with Once Caldas after taking a 1-0 aggregate lead in Manizales.
- Junior finished the 2026 Apertura first stage in second place with 35 points from 19 games.
- Arias has brought some fresh ideas to Barranquilla and mixed the possession game with a more pragmatic approach to get the best results in the regular season and followed up with a valuable away win in the first leg.
Once Caldas (away)
- Once Caldas have been unbeaten in their last five Primera A matches, winning two and drawing three, including a 1-0 win over Atlético Nacional.
- Herrera’s Once Caldas are much more of a compact, pragmatic team that are happy to sit deep, clog up the center and then strike on the counterattack or from set pieces.
- They have a big man up front in talisman Dayro Moreno, who is among the top scorers in the league and is a threat on the penalty kick.
Head-to-Head
- The record in the last five meetings across all competitions is 2 wins for Once Caldas, 1 for Junior and 2 draws.
- Most of those matches were either settled by a single goal or ended in a tie, so there is precedent for Once Caldas clawing their way back into the match even if Junior’s aggregate advantage remains intact.
Key Players
- Dayro Moreno - a big man up front and a threat from the penalty spot.
- Jefry Zapata - the most creative player for Once Caldas, creating chances and scoring the winner in their recent 2-1 win over Junior.
- Robert Mejía - the midfield engine who gives Caldas control and balance in transitions.
Betting Insights
- The bookmakers make Junior the clear favorites at 1.71 for this game with Once Caldas available at 4.94 and the draw 3.6.
- However, we will back the visitors because the away side have been solid and there is good value to be found in the Under 2.5 goals market at 1.78.
Prediction
- We are taking Once Caldas Double Chance here because they have shown they can be very stubborn and have some quality to pick up a goal or two on their day.
- The second-leg scoreline could be 1-0 to Once Caldas, which would take it to penalties, but we are going to take the Draw here because, although Junior are the favorites, they may not have enough to put Caldas away.
- Barranquilla’s mid-May weather could bring a thunderstorm or two, potentially impacting the pace and making this a more cagey affair.
