Atlas secured a 3-2 victory over Tijuana at Estadio Caliente on Friday evening, moving them further clear in the Apertura standings. The Mexican Liga match reached its conclusion after a game that swung between home advantage and away composure. Tijuana held their nerve through the opening exchanges, but Atlas found a way to turn the tide in the final quarter of play.
Ryan Mmaee gave the visitors the lead in the fifteenth minute, a strike that caught the home side off guard. Mourad El Ghezouani equalised from the spot just six minutes later, converting a penalty to keep things level. José Rivero then restored Tijuana's advantage in the thirty-seventh minute, and by then the home crowd had begun to believe they might take all three points.
The match turned on events at the business end. A penalty was awarded to Atlas in the eighty-fourth minute following a VAR review, and Luís André Leite Esteves made no mistake from the spot. Florián Monzón then added a late winner in stoppage time, sending the visitors into celebration. The substitution pattern showed both managers trying to find answers, with twelve changes combined across the ninety minutes.
The statistics told a story of dominance without control. Atlas enjoyed seventy percent possession and completed 522 passes compared to Tijuana's 178, yet both sides registered similar expected goals figures of 2.5 and 2.65 respectively. The home side saw five shots on target from ten attempts, while Atlas registered seven from fifteen. Many of those chances went begging, particularly for the visitors who created five big opportunities but could only convert two of their goals from open play.
The result leaves Atlas in sixth place with seventeen points from ten matches, while Tijuana remain eighth on fourteen points after nine games. The visitors extended their unbeaten run to five matches, though their recent form has been far from consistent. Tijuana's three defeats in their last nine games suggest they have work to do if they want to climb higher.
