Atlante defeated Monterrey 4-2 in a six-goal thriller at the Estadio Banorte, the renamed Estadio Azteca, in Mexico City on Friday, September 25, claiming just their second victory of the Liga MX Apertura 2026 and climbing out of 14th place in the standings. Jhojan Julio sealed the win in the sixth minute of second-half stoppage time, moments after the visitors had pulled within a single goal.
The turning point arrived eight minutes after halftime, when Luis Calzadilla pounced on a rebound to break the 1-1 deadlock, and Eduardo Tercero doubled the cushion in the 64th minute with a precise finish. Roberto de la Rosa headed Monterrey back into the contest in the 82nd minute and nearly equalized when he struck the crossbar four minutes later, but Julio punished a late error from Esteban Andrada to settle it. The result leaves Monterrey stuck on 13 points with a fourth defeat of the tournament, while Atlante jumps to 11 points as the rest of the round plays out over the weekend.
Atlante vs Monterrey result
Atlante struck first in the 11th minute. A move down the left ended with Walter Portales crossing to the far post, where Luis Puente arrived unmarked to tap home past a beaten Andrada. Monterrey replied swiftly: in the 18th minute, Oliver Torres threaded a precise pass to Hugo Cuypers, who controlled inside the area and fired a powerful left-footed shot beyond Oscar Jimenez for 1-1. Nico Carrera had been booked two minutes earlier for a foul on Jesus Corona, and the half-time numbers were nearly identical: 48 percent possession for Atlante to Monterrey’s 52, eight shots to five, and three on target apiece.
The second half belonged to the hosts. In the 53rd minute, Jhojan Julio cut inside and curled a placed shot off the post, and Calzadilla reacted fastest to the rebound to fire Atlante back in front. After Corona was booked in the 58th minute, the Potros struck again in the 64th: Calzadilla sent a deep pass to Julio, who picked out Tercero for a crossed finish and a 3-1 lead. Both coaches turned to their benches, but it was Jimenez who protected the margin with saves in the 74th, 78th and 80th minutes, twice denying Cuypers from close range.
Monterrey finally broke through in the 82nd minute, when de la Rosa appeared at the far post to head home from a corner and cut the deficit to 3-2. The substitute nearly completed the comeback four minutes later, crashing a long-range effort off the crossbar with Jimenez beaten. Oliver Torres was booked for protesting in the 93rd minute, and the hosts delivered the decisive blow in the 96th: a grave error in Andrada’s distribution opened the door, and Julio rolled the ball into the net with the goalkeeper beaten to complete the 4-2 scoreline. Terrazas blew for full time shortly after, confirming a famous night for Miguel Herrera’s side.
Key match stats
Monterrey controlled possession, but Atlante decided the match in the decisive moments: level on shots, with the hosts’ goalkeeper making the difference.
| Stat | Atlante | Monterrey |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 42% | 58% |
| Shots | 11 | 11 |
| Shots on target | 7 | 6 |
| Corners | 2 | 6 |
| Saves | 4 | 3 |
Source: Sportradar match data.
Three takeaways
1. Jhojan Julio was the difference maker. The Atlante forward finished with a goal and an assist, both arriving at the moments that mattered most. His pass released Tercero for the 3-1 goal that looked to have settled the match, and after Monterrey dragged themselves back into it, Julio kept his composure in stoppage time to punish Andrada’s mistake and remove all doubt.
2. Oscar Jimenez held the result together. The Atlante goalkeeper made three saves between the 74th and 80th minutes while Monterrey threw everything forward at 3-1, twice denying Cuypers from close range. His heroics preserved the two-goal cushion that allowed Atlante to survive de la Rosa’s late header. Without Jimenez, the visitors likely complete the comeback.
3. Monterrey cannot defend a second half. Almeyda’s side conceded three times after the break despite 58 percent of possession and six corners to Atlante’s two. The equalizer from Cuypers suggested control, but the defense unraveled once Calzadilla scored, and the late rally papered over a performance that produced a fourth defeat of the tournament. With a trip to Club America next, the Rayados need answers quickly.
What the result means for the Liga MX table
Atlante entered the night in 14th place with 8 points and left it with 11, their record moving to two wins, five draws and three defeats from 10 matches. The victory lifts Miguel Herrera’s team out of the bottom group for now, though their exact position will shift as the remaining Jornada 10 fixtures are played on Saturday and Sunday. Monterrey stays on 13 points with four wins, one draw and four defeats from nine matches, sliding from the 10th place they held at kickoff and at risk of falling further if Pachuca or Pumas UNAM win over the weekend.
At the top of the table, Toluca leads with 19 points ahead of the weekend, followed by Chivas Guadalajara with 18, Club America with 17 and Cruz Azul with 15. Five clubs began the weekend on 14 points: Queretaro, Leon, Xolos Tijuana, Puebla and Atlas, all chasing direct Liguilla qualification. With the regular season past its midpoint, every dropped point tightens the fight for the top eight and the playoff seeding that comes with it.
What comes next
Atlante visits Queretaro at the Estadio La Corregidora on Saturday, October 10 at 7:00 PM ET in Jornada 11, then hosts Pumas UNAM on Friday, October 16 at 11:00 PM ET in Jornada 12.
Monterrey faces a daunting trip the same night, visiting Club America at the Estadio Banorte on Saturday, October 10 at 11:00 PM ET in Jornada 11. The Rayados then return home to host Pachuca on Sunday, October 18 at 9:00 PM ET in Jornada 12, a match already carrying pressure after a fourth defeat of the campaign.
