Atlético Mineiro grabbed a crucial away victory by defeating Atlético Bucaramanga 1-0 in Colombia, thanks to a second-half penalty from Hulk and a standout performance from goalkeeper Everson. The match, played at the Estadio Américo Montanini in Bucaramanga, was the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana playoff round.

The home side controlled the tempo for over an hour and created several chances, but the experienced Everson, 34, kept the visitors in the game. The pressure began early, with Luciano Pons forcing a save from the Brazilian keeper in the 21st minute.

The clearest opportunity for Bucaramanga came in the 32nd minute when Fabián Sambueza’s shot was cleared off the line by defender Lyanco. The rebound fell to Pons, but his attempt went wide. Moments later, another counter saw Pons again denied by Everson, who was already the standout player of the first half.

Atlético Mineiro, on the other hand, struggled to generate chances, with the pace of Dudu, Rony, and Hulk failing to break down the Colombian defense. They ended the first half without a single shot on target.

At the start of the second half, Rony had the first real chance for the visitors, but Aldair Quintana made a solid save. The match then turned chaotic when Alan Franco received a second yellow card for a foul on Sambueza, leaving Mineiro with 10 men.

Despite being a man down, the visitors broke the deadlock in the 68th minute. A foul by Jefferson Mena on Igor Gomes inside the box led to a penalty, and Hulk calmly slotted home a powerful strike to make it 1-0.

From that point on, Mineiro defended their lead, while Bucaramanga struggled to recreate the chances they had earlier. The frustration boiled over in the final minutes when Bayron Duarte was also sent off for a second yellow after an argument with Gomes.

The second leg will be played next week in Brazil, where Atlético Bucaramanga will need a massive performance to overturn the deficit and reach the Round of 16 in the Copa Sudamericana.