The 2018 Categoría Primera A season (officially known as the 2018 Liga Águila season for sponsorship reasons) was the 71st season of Colombia's top-flight football league. The season began on 2 February and concluded on 16 December. Millonarios were the defending champions.
In the Torneo Apertura, Deportes Tolima won their second league title on 9 June, after tying with Atlético Nacional 2–2 on aggregate score in the finals and then beating them 4–2 on penalties and in the Torneo Finalización, Junior won their eighth title on 16 December, following a 5–4 win against Independiente Medellín on aggregate score in the finals.
Format The league was played under the same format used since the 2015 season, with the exclusion of the regional derby matchday in the first stage of both the Apertura and Finalización tournaments being the only change to be applied for this season. Both tournaments were divided into three stages: a first stage which was contested on a single round-robin basis, with each team playing the other teams once for a total of 19 matches. The top eight teams after the nineteen rounds advanced to a knockout round, where they were drawn into four ties to be played on a home-and-away basis, with the four winners advancing to the semifinals and the winners of each semifinal advancing to the final of the tournament. The winners of the final in each tournament were declared as champions. Relegation to Categoría Primera B by average continued being used.
Teams 20 teams took part, eighteen of them returning from last season plus Boyacá Chicó and Leones, who were promoted from the 2017 Primera B. Leones became the first team to secure promotion, after winning the Torneo Finalización on 26 November 2017, and competed in the Primera A for the first time ever. On the other hand, Boyacá Chicó sealed their promotion on 6 December 2017, by winning the Primera B championship on penalty kicks against Leones. They returned to the top tier after just one year. Both promoted teams replaced Cortuluá and Tigres who were relegated at the end of the last season.
Stadia and locations
Team Manager Home city Stadium Capacity Alianza Petrolera César Torres Barrancabermeja Daniel Villa Zapata 10,400 América de Cali Fernando Castro Cali Pascual Guerrero 33,130 Atlético Bucaramanga Óscar Serrano (caretaker) Bucaramanga Alfonso López 28,000 Atlético Huila Dayron Pérez (caretaker) Neiva Guillermo Plazas Alcida 22,000 Atlético Nacional Paulo Autuori Medellín Atanasio Girardot 40,043 Boyacá Chicó Jhon Jaime Gómez Tunja La Independencia 20,630 Deportes Tolima Alberto Gamero Ibagué Manuel Murillo Toro 28,100 Deportivo Cali Gerardo Pelusso Cali Deportivo Cali 52,000 Deportivo Pasto Jairo Enríquez (caretaker) Pasto Departamental Libertad 20,665 Envigado Eduardo Lara Envigado Polideportivo Sur 11,000 Independiente Medellín Octavio Zambrano Medellín Atanasio Girardot 40,043 Jaguares Julio Méndez (caretaker) Montería Jaraguayb 12,000 Junior Julio Comesaña Barranquilla Metropolitano Roberto Meléndezc 49,692 La Equidad Luis Fernando Suárez Bogotá Metropolitano de Techo 8,000 Leones Luis Amaranto Perea Itagüí Metropolitano Ciudad de Itagüí 12,000 Millonarios Miguel Ángel Russo Bogotá Nemesio Camacho El Campín 36,343 Once Caldas Hubert Bodhert Manizales Palogrande 28,678 Patriotas Diego Corredor Tunja La Independencia 20,630 Rionegro Águilas Jorge Luis Bernal Rionegro Alberto Grisales 14,000 Santa Fe Guillermo Sanguinetti Bogotá Nemesio Camacho El Campín 36,343
a: Atlético Huila played their first three home games in the Torneo Apertura (against Deportivo Cali, Junior, and La Equidad) at Estadio Manuel Murillo Toro in Ibagué due to their regular stadium Estadio Guillermo Plazas Alcid not meeting DIMAYOR's stadium requirements. b: Jaguares played their first three home games in the Torneo Apertura (against La Equidad, Deportes Tolima, and Patriotas) at Estadio Armando Tuirán Paternina in Sahagún due to works on the artificial lighting system at Estadio Jaraguay which enabled it to meet DIMAYOR's stadium requirements.
c: Junior played their home matches against Deportivo Pasto, Atlético Huila, and Rionegro Águilas at Estadio Romelio Martínez in Barranquilla instead of their regular stadium Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez.
Managerial changes
TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming managerDate of appointmentTorneo AperturaAtlético Bucaramanga Jaime de la PavaMutual consent27 November 2017Pre-season Diego Cagna15 December 2017Atlético Nacional Juan Manuel LilloResigned5 December 2017 Jorge Almirón19 December 2017Junior Julio Comesaña5 December 2017 Alexis Mendoza14 December 2017Jaguares Hubert Bodhert5 December 2017 José Manuel Rodríguez5 December 2017Once Caldas Herney DuqueEnd of caretaker spell7 December 2017 Hubert Bodhert7 December 2017Deportivo Cali Sergio Angulo9 December 2017 Gerardo Pelusso9 December 2017Rionegro Águilas Diego Edison UmañaSacked10 December 2017 Hernán Torres13 December 2017América de Cali Jorge da SilvaResigned24 March 201816th Carlos Asprilla (caretaker)26 March 2018América de Cali Carlos AsprillaEnd of caretaker spell1 April 201818th Pedro Felício Santos4 April 2018Junior Alexis MendozaSacked9 April 20183rd Fernel Díaz (caretaker)9 April 2018Junior Fernel DíazEnd of caretaker spell11 April 20183rd Julio Comesaña12 April 2018Santa Fe Gregorio PérezSacked14 April 201813th Agustín Julio (caretaker)14 April 2018Atlético Bucaramanga Diego CagnaMutual consent21 April 201812th Adolfo León Holguín (caretaker)22 April 2018Rionegro Águilas Hernán TorresResigned17 May 201813th Jorge Luis Bernal31 May 2018Atlético Bucaramanga Adolfo León HolguínEnd of caretaker spell21 May 201816th Carlos Mario Hoyos21 May 2018Santa Fe Agustín Julio23 May 201812th Guillermo Sanguinetti12 June 2018Independiente Medellín Ismael RescalvoMutual consent6 June 20182nd, SFs Octavio Zambrano15 June 2018Torneo FinalizaciónDeportivo Pasto Flabio TorresResigned6 August 201818th Hernán Lisi6 August 2018América de Cali Pedro Felício SantosSacked19 August 201813th Jersson González (caretaker)20 August 2018Atlético Bucaramanga Carlos Mario HoyosMutual consent19 August 201815th Óscar Serrano (caretaker)20 August 2018Envigado Rubén Darío BedoyaResigned21 August 201817th Juan Carlos Ramírez (caretaker)23 August 2018Leones Juan Carlos ÁlvarezMutual consent24 August 201820th Mauricio Martínez (caretaker)24 August 2018América de Cali Jersson GonzálezEnd of caretaker spell25 August 201815th Fernando Castro26 August 2018Leones Mauricio Martínez27 August 201820th Luis Amaranto Perea27 August 2018Jaguares José Manuel RodríguezResigned27 August 201816th Flavio Robatto29 August 2018Atlético Nacional Jorge AlmirónResigned30 August 20185th Hernán Darío Herrera (caretaker)30 August 2018Atlético Huila Néstor CraviottoMutual consent9 September 201820th Dayron Pérez (caretaker)10 September 2018Alianza Petrolera Juan Cruz RealSacked23 September 201813th Diego Estrada (caretaker)24 September 2018Envigado Juan Carlos RamírezEnd of caretaker spell24 September 201818th Eduardo Lara25 September 2018Alianza Petrolera Diego Estrada6 October 201815th César Torres7 October 2018Deportivo Pasto Hernán LisiSacked19 October 201817th Jairo Enríquez (caretaker)19 October 2018Jaguares Flavio RobattoResigned28 October 201819th Julio Méndez (caretaker)28 October 2018Atlético Nacional Hernán Darío HerreraEnd of caretaker spell2 November 20187th Paulo Autuori2 November 2018
Torneo Apertura
First stage The First stage began on 2 February and consisted of nineteen rounds with teams playing each other once. It ended on 6 May with the top eight teams at the end of this stage advancing to the knockout phase.
Standings
Results
Knockout phase bracket
Quarterfinals
First leg
Second leg
Semifinals
First leg
Second leg
Finals
Tied 2–2 on aggregate, Deportes Tolima won on penalties.
Top goalscorers
Rank Name Club Goals 1 Germán CanoIndependiente Medellín 12 2 Dayro MorenoAtlético Nacional 9 Iván RivasPatriotas 4 Omar DuarteAtlético Huila 8 Edder FaríasOnce Caldas Cristian Martínez BorjaAmérica de Cali Humberto OsorioRionegro Águilas 8 Edwar LópezAtlético Huila 7 Yairo MorenoIndependiente Medellín Carlos PeraltaLa Equidad José SandDeportivo Cali
Source: Dimayor
Torneo Finalización
First stage The First stage began on 20 July and featured the same format used in the Torneo Apertura, with reversed fixtures. It concluded on 11 November with the top eight teams at the end of this stage advancing to the knockout stage.
Standings
Results
Knockout phase bracket
Quarterfinals
First leg
Second leg
Semifinals
First leg
Second leg
Finals
Junior won 5–4 on aggregate.
Top goalscorers
Rank Name Club Goals 1 Germán CanoIndependiente Medellín 20 2 Marco PérezDeportes Tolima 17 3 Michael RangelAtlético Bucaramanga 11 4 Luis DíazJunior 10 Dayro MorenoAtlético Nacional Carlos PeraltaLa Equidad Diego ValdésBoyacá Chicó 8 César AriasAlianza Petrolera 8 David LemosOnce Caldas 10 Jarlan BarreraJunior 7 Juan Fernando CaicedoIndependiente Medellín Wilson MoreloSanta Fe
Source: Dimayor, Soccerway
Aggregate table
Relegation A separate table was kept to determine the teams that get relegated to the Categoría Primera B for the next season. The table included an average of all first stage games played for the current season and the previous two seasons. For purposes of elaborating the table, promoted teams were given the same point and goal tallies as the team in the 18th position at the start of the season. Team Relegation 1Atlético Nacional 76 87 71 234 118 2 73 69 69 211 118 3Santa Fe 70 67 56 193 118 4Millonarios 70 69 51 190 118 5Junior 65 62 62 189 118 6Deportes Tolima 57 53 72 182 118 7Deportivo Cali 66 53 58 177 118 8Atlético Bucaramanga 55 47 58 160 118 9La Equidad 42 53 61 156 118 10Once Caldas 51 42 63 156 118 11Rionegro Águilas 60 39 57 156 118 12Patriotas 61 45 49 155 118 13América de Cali 46 60 47 153 118 14Jaguares 46 59 39 144 118 15Envigado 51 44 46 141 118 16Atlético Huila 42 48 48 138 118 17Deportivo Pasto 44 56 35 135 118 18Alianza Petrolera 47 46 42 135 118 19Boyacá Chicó (R) 42 48 36 126 118 20Leones (R) 42 48 22 112 118 Source: DimayorRules for classification: 1st average; 2nd goal difference; 3rd number of goals scored; 4th away goals scored.
See also 2018 Categoría Primera B season 2018 Copa Colombia
References
External links Dimayor's official website