Quintero starts as Millonarios secures first win of the season

Darwin Quintero and Millonarios FC finally breathed a sigh of relief on Wednesday night, defeating Águilas Doradas 1–0 at a raucous Estadio El Campín. The "Scientist of Goal" started the match but made an early exit as the Embajadores claimed their first victory of the 2026 Liga BetPlay Apertura campaign.

Match recap

Coming into the match sitting near the bottom of the table, the pressure was squarely on Millonarios to deliver a result. The first half was a tense, scoreless grind, with the home side struggling to break down a stubborn Águilas defense.

Manager Fabián Bustos made decisive changes at the break that ultimately paid off. The deadlock was broken in the 56th minute when veteran striker Radamel Falcao converted a penalty, sending the crowd of over 36,000 into a frenzy. The 1–0 victory snaps a frustrating winless streak for the Bogota giants and lifts them out of the relegation conversation.

Quintero’s performance

Quintero was named in the starting XI for this crucial fixture, tasked with unlocking the Águilas defense from the midfield.

• The shift: Quintero played the entire first half but was substituted at halftime, replaced as part of a tactical reshuffle to inject more directness into the attack.

• The impact: During his 45 minutes on the pitch, Quintero looked to control the tempo but found space hard to come by against a low block. His withdrawal allowed Millonarios to change shape for the second half, a gamble that worked almost immediately as they found the winner just 10 minutes after the restart.

Up next

Millonarios will look to build a winning streak when they face Llaneros FC on Saturday, Feb. 14. Quintero will be hoping to earn another start and prove he can be the catalyst for a full 90-minute performance.