El Clásico Paisa
El Clásico Paisa is the name for the rivalry between the teams of Atlético Nacional and Independiente Medellín. They share Estadio Atanasio Girardot, with a capacity of over 40,000. The two teams are among the most successful teams in Categoría Primera A, with Atlético Nacional the most successful in Colombia in terms of total trophies won, compared to Independiente Medellín, who instead are characterized by their loyal fanbase and their involvement in numerous league finals since the turn of the 21st century.
| Location | Medellín, Colombia |
|---|---|
| Teams | Atlético Nacional Independiente Medellín |
| First meeting | Atlético Municipal 0–3 Medellín Campeonato Profesional (12 September 1948) |
| Latest meeting | Nacional 0–5 Medellín 2023 Finalización (3 December 2023) |
| Next meeting | Medellín vs. Nacional 2024 Apertura (21 April 2024) |
| Stadiums | Estadio Atanasio Girardot |
| Statistics | |
| Meetings total | 333 matches |
| Most wins | Atlético Nacional (134) |
| Top scorer | Víctor Aristizábal (19) |
| All-time series | Nacional: 134 Drawn: 103 Medellín: 96 |
| Largest victory | Nacional 7–2 Medellín (4 July 1959) Nacional 6–0 Medellín (4 November 1976) Nacional 0–5 Medellín (3 December 2023) Medellín 5–1 Nacional (28 April 1979) (27 June 2011) |
The match started to gain more importance in the early 2000s, when Independiente Medellín ended their 40+ year title drought with their title in the 2002 Finalización tournament, and with El Poderoso defeating Nacional in the 2004 Apertura finals. It is considered to be one of the most important derbies in Colombia.
The rivalry is mainly dominated by Atlético Nacional, who has won 134 matches, while Independiente Medellín has won 96. The top goalscorer of the derby is Víctor Aristizábal, who scored 19 goals for Atlético Nacional.