Atlante Defeats FC Juárez 1-0 and Eliminates Border Squad in Liga MX

The Atlante football club secured a critical 1-0 victory against FC Juárez on Monday night at the Estadio Olímpico Benito Juárez during the thirteenth round of the Apertura 2026 Liga MX tournament. With this result, the border squad was mathematically eliminated from the competition with only four matches remaining in the regular season.

The defining moment of the match arrived in the seventy-sixth minute. Following a corner kick, defender Juan Nicolás Carrera capitalized on loose defensive coverage by the home side to connect with a header, sending the ball into the back of the net. The strike marked Carrera's first goal in Liga MX and offered much-needed relief to manager Miguel Herrera.

The encounter began with a tightly contested first half characterized by constant fouls that disrupted the flow of play. Atlante thought they had broken the deadlock in the twenty-eighth minute when Martín Sarrafiore launched a long-range shot from midfield that beat the goalkeeper. However, following a review through the Video Assistant Referee system, the referee annulled the goal due to a prior handball.

Throughout the opening forty-five minutes, both sides tested the goalkeepers without success. Luis Calzadilla and Sarrafiore created opportunities for the visiting squad, while Sebastián Jurado stood firm in goal for Juárez. On the other side, Óscar Estupiñán and Jhojan Julio attempted to spark the home team's offense, but the scoreboard remained untouched heading into halftime.

Juárez showed greater initiative at the start of the second period. Denzell García forced a diving save from Óscar Jiménez shortly after the resumption, and subsequent attempts by Jesús Murillo and Ricardinho kept pressure on the visitors' defense. Despite these efforts, the home team struggled to finish their scoring chances.

As the match progressed into the final stretch, Atlante intensified its attack. Manager Herrera's squad eventually broke through through Carrera's header, which ultimately decided the contest. Late efforts by Juárez to find an equalizer, including an attempt by Brayan Molina in stoppage time, missed the target.

With the defeat, FC Juárez remains at the bottom of the general standings with four points, cementing their elimination with four matches left to play. Meanwhile, Atlante raised its total to fourteen units, keeping alive slim mathematical hopes of reaching the qualification zone as they prepare to face Atlético San Luis next weekend.