Colombiavs
Congo DRFor three quarters of this match, Colombia had everything except the goal. They had the ball, the corners, the shots — 20 of them by the final whistle — and Congo DR's goalkeeper was working harder than anyone in the stadium wanted to admit. Then the 76th minute arrived, Juan Fernando Quintero picked up the ball, and Daniel Muñoz settled the night.
The finish was the story. Everything before it was the buildup.
A Night of Pressure Without Reward
Colombia's 63.6% possession was never really in doubt. They strung together 540 passes at 90% accuracy and pressed Congo DR into a defensive posture that never really loosened. Nine of their 20 shots tested the keeper; Congo DR's goalkeeper made eight saves across the full 90. That number tells you what kind of evening it was for the African side — absorb, recover, absorb again.
Congo DR offered almost nothing going the other way. Eight shots, one on target, zero offsides — a team sitting deep and hoping the math worked out. For most of the match, it nearly did.
The one moment of genuine Colombian concern came in the 56th minute, when Jhon Lucumí picked up a yellow card. With the game still level, it added a layer of caution Colombia didn't need.
Muñoz Breaks the Lock
Qué alivio — because this one had started to feel like it might slip away. Fourteen minutes from time, Quintero threaded the assist and Muñoz converted. One goal. That was all it took, and in the end, all it needed to be.
Congo DR's response was limited. They couldn't manufacture the pressure a goal deficit demands, and Colombia — holding the lead now — were content to manage. The final bookings told the story of a match winding down in frustration: Charles Pickel for Congo DR and Jefferson Lerma for Colombia both saw yellow deep in stoppage time, the kind of cards that come when legs are tired and tempers are short.
Colombia finished with just one save required of their own goalkeeper. One.
Verdict
Our pre-match read made Colombia the favorite at 63%, and they delivered — eventually. The win was deserved on volume and control, even if it came later than anyone in yellow and blue would have wanted. Colombia will feel the performance had more in it than a single-goal margin suggests; the chances were there, and on another night they convert two or three of those nine shots on target instead of one.
Cabal, that was the real subplot: not whether Colombia would win, but whether Congo DR could hold out long enough to make something strange happen. They couldn't, but they made Colombia earn every minute of it.
El chispudo de Quintero, always finding the moment that matters. That assist was the difference, and Muñoz had the composure to finish it. Colombia move on with four wins from their last five. Congo DR, with their patchy LDLDW form, will need to regroup quickly.
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