Atlante Stuns Monterrey, Comes Back Twice to Win 4-2 on Jhojan Julio's Late Winner

With the ball dropping in second-half stoppage time, Jhojan Julio unleashed a right-footed strike from outside the box that found the corner of the net past Monterrey's goalkeeper. That 95th-minute goal made it a final 4-2 and capped off a wild afternoon at Estadio Banorte, where Atlante came from behind twice and ultimately got the better of Monterrey in a Liga MX match that saw goals at both ends and a rollercoaster of emotions for both sets of fans.

Monterrey had arrived as the favorite according to our pre-match projections, with a 48% chance of winning compared to 24% for Atlante and 28% for a draw. The numbers ended up telling a different story: Miguel Herrera's side made the most of its chances when it mattered, while Matias Almeyda's group, despite dominating possession, walked away empty-handed.

A back-and-forth first half

The match opened with Atlante striking first. In the 10th minute, Luis Puente finished with his right foot from close range off an assist from Walter Portales to make it 1-0. Monterrey's response came quickly: seven minutes later, Hugo Cuypers curled a left-footed shot into the top corner, set up by Oliver Torres, leveling it at 1-1, a score that held until the break.

The second half was a different story. Atlante came out with more purpose, and in the 52nd minute, after a Jhojan Julio effort clanged off the post, Luis Calzadilla pounced on the rebound to make it 2-1 with a low shot just inside the post. Eleven minutes later, Eduardo Tercero extended the lead with a left-footed finish off a headed pass from Julio, and the score reached 3-1, seemingly putting the match out of reach.

Monterrey wasn't done. Roberto de la Rosa, who had come on as a substitute, rose to head home a corner kick in the 81st minute to make it 3-2, leaving the door open for an equalizer that felt like it was coming. But Atlante had the final say: deep into stoppage time, Jhojan Julio scored his goal to close out the match at 4-2.

The numbers behind the result

Possession and overall volume of play belonged to the visitors, but the finishing touch was all home side. Monterrey controlled the ball with 59.5% possession and out-shot Atlante while also leading in corners and passes, though both teams finished level in shots on target and big chances.

By expected goals calculated from the match's shots, Atlante generated 1.424 xG compared to Monterrey's 1.181, a gap that lends some support to the final result, even if neither figure comes close to the four goals the home side actually scored.

What the result means in the standings

Coming into the match, Atlante held a record of 2 wins, 5 draws and 3 losses in 10 matches played this tournament, while Monterrey had 4 wins, 1 draw and 4 losses in 9 matches. With this win, Atlante closes the gap in the standings on a Monterrey side that had been picking up points on the road, with just 2 points separating the two teams in the table before this match.

The result leaves behind a memorable afternoon at Estadio Banorte: four goals for Atlante, a late strike that decided everything in stoppage time, and a Monterrey side that came back once but couldn't complete the feat a second time in the same afternoon.