U. Catolica overturned a half-time deficit to beat Huachipato 4-2 in the Super Cup semi-final at Estadio Sausalito, a result that the Lemeister model had pointed towards with a 44 per cent win probability for the favourites. The decisive factor was a clinical second-half display that produced three goals in the final 16 minutes after Huachipato had led twice. Both sides finished with ten attempts on goal, but the difference lay in conversion: U. Catolica scored with four of their shots on target, while Huachipato managed two from a similar number.
Huachipato opened the scoring in the 40th minute through L. Altamirano, who capitalised on a normal goal opportunity to give his side the lead at the interval. The striker’s first strike came without an assist, and it was the only shot on target in a first half that saw the sides largely cancel each other out in open play. U. Catolica responded after the break, with F. Zampedri levelling in the 56th minute, also from open play and unassisted. The pattern of a direct, quick response was set.
Huachipato regained the advantage from the penalty spot in the 67th minute, Altamirano converting his second of the match to complete a brace. That should have given the home side a platform, but U. Catolica’s response was immediate. C. Montes equalised in the 74th minute, this time with an assist from M. Palavecino, and the momentum shifted decisively. The visitors then struck twice in stoppage time to seal the win. F. Zampedri scored his second in the 90th minute, unassisted, before J. Giani added a fourth with an assist from Zampedri. The quick double underlined U. Catolica’s superior efficiency in the closing stages.
The disciplinary record showed four yellow cards, two to each side. G. Medel was booked for U. Catolica just before half-time, while E. Canete received a caution for Huachipato a minute later. J. Valencia and K. Altez were both cautioned in the second half, Valencia in the 50th minute and Altez in the 81st. Neither side received a red card, and the match was played without any sending off that might have altered the tactical balance. Both teams used all five permitted substitutes.
With the statistics showing equal attempts on goal, the match rating data would have highlighted the contributions of the scorers. Altamirano’s brace was the standout individual effort for Huachipato, but the inability to hold the lead after his second goal exposed defensive frailties. For U. Catolica, Zampedri’s two goals and an assist made him the central figure of the comeback, while Giani and Montes provided the late finishing touches. The midfield duel, though not reflected in the goals, was competitive and saw both sides commit to attacking transitions.
This result sends U. Catolica into the Super Cup final, where they will face the winner of the other semi-final. For Huachipato, the defeat ends their cup run at the semi-final stage. The Lemeister model’s pre-match projection of a 2-1 away win was closer than the final margin suggests, but the late burst of three goals in normal and stoppage time skewed the scoreline. U. Catolica’s ability to respond twice to deficits and then accelerate in the final moments was the defining trait of the match.
