Puebla showed resilience to come from behind and secure a valuable Liga MX point. La Franja drew 1-1 with Atlante on Saturday after trailing at halftime, with a Mathías Tomás strike changing the course of the match.
The visiting side took the lead in the 41st minute through a goal from Walter Portales, who finished a pass from Jhojan Julio. Puebla, coming off a loss to Toluca, pushed for a response after the break and found it eight minutes after the restart. Ignacio Maestro provided the precise pass for Mathías Tomás, whose left-footed shot from outside the box beat goalkeeper Óscar Jiménez for the equalising goal.
Goalkeeper Ricardo Gutiérrez was instrumental in preventing a defeat, making at least four key saves against efforts from Luis Calzadilla, Martín Sarrafiore and Christian Bermúdez. His most notable stop came late on, denying a powerful strike from Luis Puente that was heading for the bottom corner. Manager Óscar Villa was shown a yellow card for dissent from the technical area.
Table context
With this result, Puebla remains in sixth place in the championship with 14 points, from four wins, two draws and three defeats. The team has an even goal difference, having scored and conceded 11 times each. The gap to leaders Toluca stands at five points, a margin La Franja will aim to reduce in the coming rounds.
The team's form at the Cuauhtémoc has been mixed this season, with two wins, a draw and two losses in five home appearances. The draw against Atlante follows a win over Necaxa and a loss to América. The squad, which you can review in detail on our squad page, has E. Mustre as its top scorer with three goals.
Next challenge
Focus now shifts to the next matchday, where Puebla will visit Tigres UANL on September 27. The Tigers are currently in a difficult 16th place, presenting an opportunity for La Franja to take three points on the road. The full schedule of fixtures is available on our fixtures list.
The match against Atlante demonstrated the reactive ability of Óscar Villa's team, a quality that will be vital in the final stretch of the Apertura 2026. La Franja finished the game with dominant possession and several dangerous crosses, though without finding a winning play. Midfielder Iker Moreno was key in generating chances, providing two potential assists from corner situations.
Background and full detail: en.as.com
