Estrella Roja secured a comfortable 5:2 victory over Huitzilapa in the fourth round of the National League Apertura on Friday evening. The hosts took control early, with an own goal from J. Lopez giving them the lead before the quarter-hour mark. Huitzilapa's task became significantly harder when K. Matute received a red card in the thirtieth minute, leaving them with ten men for the remainder of the contest.
By then, the visitors had already seen L. Juarez and C. Rochez book, while Matute's dismissal proved costly. Estrella Roja made two substitutions in the thirty-fifth minute, bringing on J. Centeno and M. Garcia as they looked to manage the game. The home side's numerical advantage allowed them to dictate proceedings without needing to chase the game.
The second half opened with Estrella Roja extending their lead. E. Gomez found the net in the forty-seventh minute, followed by N. Luna's strike in the fifty-second. F. Lopez then doubled his tally, scoring in both the fifty-fourth and fifty-fifth minutes to put the result beyond doubt. The home side made another change at half-time, introducing O. Rosales for fresh legs.
Huitzilapa refused to lie down entirely, pulling two goals back late on. J. Rochez headed home in the eighty-fourth minute before an uncredited goal followed in the eighty-sixth. S. Bermudez added a third consolation in stoppage time, though Estrella Rochez had already closed the game out. F. Lopez completed his hat-trick in the eighty-seventh minute, ending a barren spell for the striker.
The statistics tell an unusual story. Both teams recorded 50 per cent possession, yet Estrella Roja created more clear-cut opportunities. Neither side registered a single shot on or off target, and corners were also nil-nil — a reminder that this match was decided by moments rather than sustained pressure. To be fair, the away side's red card skewed the tactical balance entirely.
The result leaves Estrella Roja third in the table with eight points from five games, sitting above the play-off zone. Huitzilapa remain fifth with just three points from a winless run of four matches. The hosts have now won two, drawn two and lost one, while the visitors have suffered four defeats from their opening five fixtures. And here's the thing — one mistake ends it when you're playing with ten men.