The Ecuadorian University Católica turned around a 1-3 score in their visit to Colombian Alianza, in the third round of Group B of the Copa Sudamericana, leaving them solidly at the top with seven points in a great night for Jhon Jairo Cifuentes.

The Camaratta started better at the Armando Maestre Pavajeau stadium with José Fajardo unsettling early on and trying to connect with Panamanian Ismael Díaz, until the high pressure from the Colombians paid off with the ball that Jhair Castillo stole from Fausto Grillo for Emerson Batalla to unleash a powerful shot from the edge of the area and beat Venezuelan goalkeeper Rafael Romo in the eighth minute.

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The Ecuadorians, led by former Tri coach Jorge Célico, sought to react with direct football and Fajardo fighting between the central defenders, as well as incursions from Layan Loor and Aron Rodríguez, who failed to break the resistance of the hosts, who had Batalla as their most dangerous player and worked well on the wings, especially with Efraín Navarro.

In the first half, Batalla was close to doubling the lead after surprising goalkeeper Romo with an attempt at an Olympic goal, while for the visitors Gustavo Vallecilla appeared dangerously to join Fajardo, and Díaz warned by accumulating rivals in another arrival before the break.

For the second half, the teams held nothing back, especially the Blue Express, but the first to warn was Alianza with the ball that Mayer Gil hit the post in a play by Michael Rangel, to give way to the best moment of the visitor who had three clear chances in a frantic moment.

The clearest chance for the U was with Rodríguez when goalkeeper Pier Luigi Grazziani was already beaten, but Leonardo Saldaña cleared the ball before it crossed the line, and a minute later it was Luciano Nieto who came close to tying with a long-range shot.

With Camaratta committed to attack, Grazziani stopped another goal ball, this time in a showdown with Díaz, and before Pedro Franco's own goal in the 56th minute when he tried to clear a cross from Gregory Anangonó to give way to another game, completely dominated by the visitor and with the influence of Jhon Jairo Cifuentes, whose entry was decisive scoring the second and assisting for the third.

To seal the comeback, Díaz did the dirty work by shaking off Santiago Orozco and looking for Cifuentes, who finished powerfully and freely in the 69th minute, a blow that the Colombian squad could not absorb and collapsed as the minutes passed until allowing Panamanian Díaz to make it 1-3 in the 77th.

Although the Valledupar team hurried and made changes, they did not find the answers or the finish because Ruyery Blanco and Royscer Colpa wasted their options at the end of the game.

In the next round, Alianza hosts Cruzeiro as the bottom team (one point) and under pressure in Valledupar, while Universidad Católica receives Unión La Calera.