Millonarios Targets Once Caldas Win to Secure Playoff Spot

Millonarios entered its October 20, 2026, home match against Once Caldas at El Campín Stadium in Bogotá with a chance to strengthen its bid for the Liga BetPlay 2026-II playoffs and improve its prospects of reaching international competition in 2027. According to El Tiempo, Alberto Miguel Gamero's team had 25 points with four matches remaining and was seeking another victory after defeating Jaguares 4-1.

The fixture, originally postponed because of problems with the playing surface at El Campín, carried significant implications for both clubs. El Tiempo reported that a Millonarios victory would increase its lead over Once Caldas to eight points, giving the Bogotá side a substantial advantage in the qualification race.

Millonarios had also moved into eighth place in the overall standings, known as the reclassification table, with 51 points, one position behind Once Caldas. According to El Tiempo, that ranking offered another route toward international competition, making the remaining league matches important after Millonarios was eliminated from the Copa Colombia on penalties against Barranquilla FC.

Gamero identified qualification for the next stage as his immediate priority following the victory over Jaguares.

"The first objective is to qualify. No team can aspire to be champion if it does not qualify, and the first thing we have to do is qualify," said Gamero, Millonarios' head coach.

The coach also highlighted the importance of collecting points in the overall standings. Millonarios had three home games and one away match remaining after the postponed fixture, according to El Tiempo. Its remaining opponents included Once Caldas, América de Cali, Alianza Valledupar and Deportes Tolima, with the away trip scheduled against Tolima.

Gamero was optimistic about the team's opportunity to advance while emphasizing the need to maintain its position in the overall standings.

"We still have three matches here at home and one away. God willing, Tuesday's game against Once Caldas will secure our qualification, but we will keep going and collecting points in the overall standings because Millonarios must always aim to compete near the top. So far, I think we are on the right track," Gamero said.

Millonarios was without left back Sebastián Valencia for the match because of an accumulation of yellow cards, El Tiempo reported.

The team had gone unbeaten since Gamero returned to replace Argentine coach Fabián Bustos, although its results included more draws than wins. Millonarios had drawn against Pereira, Cali, Nacional, Medellín and Fortaleza before defeating Boyacá Chicó, Cúcuta Deportivo and Jaguares.

Gamero considered the Jaguares performance the team's strongest showing since his return, particularly because of improvements in possession and attacking opportunities, while acknowledging that mistakes remained.

"Undoubtedly, since my arrival, I think this has been the best match we have played, the most attractive and the most cohesive. We tried to give the team more possession and create more chances and scoring opportunities, which we had not been getting. On Saturday, we created those chances and converted them, but I cannot say it was a perfect match. We made mistakes, and I have to show them to the players," Gamero said.

El Espectador reported that Millonarios' attacking lineup featured David Mackalister Silva, Daniel Ruiz, Juan Guillermo Cuadrado, Andrey Estupiñán and Leonardo Castro in the 4-1 victory over Jaguares. Castro had scored five goals for Millonarios during the semester, according to the accompanying image caption.

Despite Millonarios' recent improvement, Once Caldas posed a difficult challenge. El Espectador reported that the visitors had gone unbeaten in their previous three trips to face Millonarios, recording two draws and one victory. Millonarios had not beaten Once Caldas since the second half of 2023, when Gamero was also in charge.

Once Caldas had also recovered following the departure of coach Hernán Darío Herrera, winning its two most recent matches, 1-0 against Llaneros and 2-0 against Independiente Medellín, according to El Tiempo.

The October 20 match was scheduled to begin at 8:30 p.m. local time at Nemesio Camacho El Campín Stadium in Bogotá. El Espectador listed Win+ Fútbol and Win Play as the broadcasters for the fixture.