Real Cartagena — Millonarios : Match Preview and Prediction for August 27,2025

Real Cartagena’s Recent Form and League Standing

Let’s begin with the home side. Real Cartagena is a team from Primera B, Colombia’s second-tier football division. While they recently secured emphatic 4-0 home victories against Tigres and Leones, it’s essential to acknowledge that these were against opponents within their own league tier, not indicative of a higher-level challenge. These wins were also interspersed with an away defeat to Real Santander (0-2) and draws against Boca Juniors Cali and Real Cundinamarca, showcasing a degree of inconsistency in their performance.

Coaching Transition and Squad Overview for Cartagena

Real Cartagena approaches this fixture with a new head coach at the helm. Argentine Néstor Craviotto is making his debut, mirroring the coaching change at Millonarios. Such a transition inherently introduces an element of uncertainty into the team’s dynamics, particularly when their initial test is against one of the nation’s footballing powerhouses. Although the squad features seasoned players like Christian Marrugo and Freddy Montero, the considerable disparity in class between the divisions remains a pivotal factor in this encounter.

Millonarios’ Revival Under Hernán Torres

What is currently unfolding at Millonarios can only be described as a profound revitalization. The team had been mired in a deep crisis, languishing at the bottom of the league table, which ultimately led to the departure of coach David González. Now, Hernán Torres, the figure who famously led the club to a championship title in 2012 after a 24-year dry spell, has returned to take charge.

Immediate Impact and Dominant Performance

The impact of his appointment was almost instantaneous. Even with Torres observing from the stands, his prospective team delivered a stunning performance last weekend, utterly dismantling the league leaders, the hitherto unbeaten Junior Barranquilla, with a commanding 3-0 victory. The statistics from that match vividly illustrate their dominance: Millonarios unleashed 13 shots, with 7 on target, while preventing the Primera A leader from registering a single shot on their own goal. This was more than just a win; it was a comprehensive demonstration of transformation.

Full Strength Squad for Torres’ Official Debut

A critical point to note: for this match against Cartagena, Torres is deploying his primary squad. The team sheet includes key players such as goalkeeper Guillermo De Amores, defenders Jorge Arias and Juan Pablo Vargas, and striker Santiago Giordana. There will be no room for complacency or squad rotation; Millonarios is traveling with a clear objective to secure a positive result, and this game will mark Torres’ official debut at the helm of the team.