Millonarios super-sub Erik Moreno came off the bench to grab a late winner against Cucuta Deportivo and keep the Bogota giants top of the Colombian Primera A.
The hosts never hit top form throughout and it took an 88th minute strike from Moreno, who had come on as a 70th minute substitute, to hand Millonarios all three points.
Cucuta will be disappointed that their resolve didn’t last a few minutes longer but in truth they rarely troubled Luis Delgado in the Millonarios net.
For the hosts the victory keeps them at the summit of the POSTOBON league, albeit only on goal difference ahead of surprise package Itagui.
The Antioquia-based club rose to second in the league thanks to a 4-0 demolition of Deportes Quindio on Sunday – the biggest victory in this league in their history.
The hosts made light work of their opponents and took all three points thanks in main to a clinical nine minutes when they scored three times.
First Johan Fano opened the scoring with a header on 14 minutes. Jorge Aguirre then nodded home after 19 minutes before Yessy Mena completed a remarkable nine minutes with a close-range effort on 23 minutes.
A fine solo goal late on from Cleider Alzate completed the rout to take Itagui’s impressive recent record to three wins in their last four games.
The result lifts them above Junior in the table, although it could have been worse for the Barraquilla outfit as they left it late to grab a draw at Deportes Tolima.
It seemed like Junior were heading for their second defeat in three matches as they trailed 2-0 going into the latter stages of the match.
A 71-minute strike from Dayro Moreno got them back into contention only for Colombian international Teofilo Gutierrez to be sent off for the second time in three games.
Victor Cortes was then dismissed to take the visitors down to nine men. It seemed that would be it until Harold Macias scored a last-gasp equaliser to earn Junior a vital point.
Meanwhile in Medellin in-form Atletico Nacional could only draw 2-2 with reigning champions Santa Fe, despite the visitors being reduced to 10-men.
Omar Perez had opened the scoring for the visitors just before the break.
Nacional hit back on the hour mark through Macnelly Torres, only for them to fall behind again four minutes later when Cristian Martínez Borja scored.
The visitors were then reduced to 10 men as Hugo Acosta was given his marching orders. The incident proved cruicial as Nacional built up ahead of steam and snatched a point through Óscar Murillo’s 70th minute goal.
The result sees Nacional drop four points behind the leaders Millonarios while for Santa Fe the draw means they remain winless from their last five games.
In other notable fixtures Independiente Medellin went down 1-0 at Boyaca Chico, while La Equidad smashed five past lowly Atletico Huila to move level on points with Junior in fourth.
