Javier Gandolfi, Opsina, and Marlos stand up for Edwin Cardona and support him after he missed two penalties in the Copa Libertadores.

Atlético Nacional failed to beat Sao Paulo and only managed a goalless draw at the Atanasio Girardot Stadium, leaving them with a chance to advance to the quarterfinals in Brazil next Tuesday. The match was marked by two penalty misses by midfielder Edwin Cardona.

After the match, coach Javier Gandolfi analyzed the home draw and reacted to Cardona's two penalties, which he didn't condemn despite the poor night. On the contrary, he supported him.

“The first word that comes to mind is pride. I would have to take a second look, given the fact that we had such a strong advantage over our opponent. Both tactically and in intensity, they were superior. We have a list of penalty takers, and that can vary depending on our confidence. Today, it was Edwin's turn to miss, but he's often given us joy; we're here to support him. Tomorrow, Segur will have a smile on his face. We have to think about what's next,” said the coach.

He wasn't the only one; David Ospina , the team's key player, came to the defense of the number 10. "We know what Edwin is, he brings a lot to us, he gives us a lot, we know his quality, we have to protect him at this time and I know he's going to recover quickly," said the goalkeeper.

For his part, Marlos Moreno commented: "It's normal, it's football, it could have been me, now I have maximum support for him, we're going to give our best in Brazil."

Cardona shot his first penalty wide, and on the second, he hit the post, and the goalkeeper reached out and cleared the ball. The midfielder, so often a hero for the team, left in tears and heartbroken over his poor performance.

Nacional and its character to win: I'm going to keep working hard and with the conviction I've had since day one. The team gave their all, they stood their ground, they didn't let the opponent play, neither tactically, mentally, nor physically."

Calm despite the draw: “I'm proud, actually. It makes me feel calm because the team stood up, played, and tried. We lacked decisiveness, but we improved, and at times we saw that beautiful game that people like.”

Marlos Moreno still lacks physicality: "I would have liked to have him for 90 minutes, but he ran out of gas, hence the substitution."