Puebla preserved their Liguilla qualification spot with a 1-1 draw against Atlante on matchday nine of the Apertura 2026. Gerardo Espinoza's side rescued a point at the Estadio Cuauhtémoc thanks to an own goal from the visiting goalkeeper, after trailing since the first half.
Atlante, managed by Miguel 'Piojo' Herrera, controlled the opening fifteen minutes and took the lead through Walter Portales, who finished a move from Jhojan Julio. Referee Aldo Ballesteros had a quiet game until VAR instructed him to review and overturn a penalty initially awarded to Puebla. "Gerardo Espinoza did not hesitate to search for the goal and made three changes at the start of the second half," the local coach said about his reaction.
The equaliser came after the break. A cross from Mathías Tomás found Walter Clar, whose deflection sent the ball off Oscar Jiménez and into the net. The match, low on footballing quality, had a nostalgic moment with the introduction of Christian 'Hobbit' Bermúdez, who returned to the top flight and came close to scoring. With this result, Puebla solidifies fifth place in Liga MX with 14 points, five behind leaders Toluca. Their record after nine games is four wins, two draws, and three losses.
Puebla's recent form shows they have taken seven points from their last five matches, a run that includes two wins, a draw, and two defeats. The team has struggled to score consistently, with their eleven goals this campaign translating to an average of 1.22 per game. Their next fixture is an away trip on September 27 to face Tigres UANL, who sit in 15th place. The squad, dealing with the absences of Eduardo Mustre Torres and Kevin Velasco, will aim to improve their attacking output. Top scorer Mustre has three goals in six appearances, according to our stats data. The team's overall goal difference stands at zero, having conceded exactly eleven goals as well.
Background and full detail: Record MX
Manager Gerardo Espinoza confirmed that the three changes at the start of the second half were a direct reaction to a "very bad first half". Espinoza said: "After a very bad first half, I decided to make three changes in one go". The modification, which included the introductions of Óscar Villa, Iker Moreno and Omar Moreno, had an almost immediate effect. The equalizer arrived in the 53rd minute with a powerful shot from Mathías Tomás. The team, with 14 points in fifth place, maintains a neutral goal difference with 11 scored and 11 conceded.
Uruguayan Mathías Tomás leveled the score for Puebla in the 53rd minute with a shot from outside the box, the club confirmed. The midfielder scored his second goal of the Apertura 2026 tournament, his first in Mexico. With his two goals, Tomás has directly contributed to four points for the team, which maintains a neutral goal difference with 11 scored and 11 conceded.
