Baltazar’s Double Stuns Xolos as Puebla Rises from the Brink in Seven-Goal Cuauhtémoc Epic
On a chilly Saturday night under the bright floodlights of Estadio Cuauhtémoc, Puebla did what seemed unthinkable: the league’s bottom club spun a stunning late comeback to topple Club Tijuana, 4-3, in a whirlwind contest that will be recounted for seasons to come. The hosts, bruised by a torrid campaign and still anchored in 18th place, unleashed their pent-up frustrations in a dazzling final act, snatching three points from a Xolos side that had already been eyeing their ascent up the Liga MX table.
It was Carlos Baltazar who etched his name into Puebla folklore with two goals in the final ten minutes, a brace delivered when hope seemed lost and tired legs had begun to wobble. For Xolos, the collapse was as bewildering as it was swift: two-goal leads and the certainty of three points vanished in a storm of noise and relentless Puebla pressure.
The drama began slowly, the first half marked by nervous probing and heavy touches—reflecting Puebla’s recent malaise and Tijuana’s own hesitance away from home. The scoreboard remained untouched at halftime, with both dugouts nursing plans for a more assertive second act.
The match burst into life early in the second half. In the 52nd minute, Kevin Castañeda coolly dispatched a penalty for Tijuana after a handball in the box, sending a hush over the Cuauhtémoc terraces. Just eight minutes later, Castañeda struck again—this time from open play—finishing a sweeping Xolos move by slipping the ball past a stretched Puebla backline. At 2-0, Xolos supporters in the stands sensed another clinical away performance, their side after all enjoying a campaign defined by efficiency and resilience, with just two defeats in twelve.
But Puebla, battered by five winless outings and with the specter of a lost season looming, responded with a resolve few could have predicted. Ricardo Marín, one of the few bright spots in Puebla’s turbulent autumn, clawed one back in the 68th minute. His sharp finish from inside the area reawakened the home crowd—sparse but suddenly thunderous.
What happened next beggared belief. Within sixty seconds of Marín’s goal, Puebla found the net again—this time as confusion reigned in the Xolos box and the ball trickled over the line, the scorer momentarily lost to the chaos, but the stadium erupting just the same. A rampant Tijuana, desperate to restore order, surged forward. Mourad El Ghezouani delivered what should have been the final word, sweeping in a third for the visitors in the 71st minute, restoring a lead that felt decisive.
But the evening belonged to Puebla and, above all, to Baltazar. With time ebbing away, Baltazar found himself in the right place to draw Puebla level in the 83rd minute, threading a precise shot inside the far post. Momentum, that elusive ally, now belonged to La Franja. And in the dying moments, as Xolos scrambled frantically to hold on, Baltazar again found space, again kept his nerve, and again delivered—his stoppage-time winner sending players, staff, and a beleaguered fanbase into delirium.
The magnitude of the result cannot be overstated. Puebla, with just one win in their previous twelve league matches and carrying the division’s lowest point tally, showed a potency and character unseen for months. This was not just three points; it was a stirring assertion of pride, the kind that can tilt an entire club’s trajectory.
For Tijuana, the outcome is a bitter lesson in the mercurial nature of Liga MX. A win would have propelled them further into playoff contention, consolidating a season that has balanced attacking verve with defensive discipline. Instead, they leave central Mexico with questions about game management and the kind of defensive wobble that could haunt their ambitions.
The contrast in form heading into the night was stark. Puebla, winless since a September draw with Pachuca, had conceded ten goals in their last four matches and often appeared to lack both ideas and stamina in the final third. Tijuana, by comparison, arrived with just two losses in twelve, buoyed by a resounding 2-0 win over Cruz Azul and a 5-0 demolition of León earlier in the month.
Historically, the fixture has offered drama—rarely, though, at this scale. In recent meetings, Xolos have typically fared better, exploiting Puebla’s defensive frailties. Tonight, however, it was those same vulnerabilities, coupled with a sudden attacking flourish, that turned the script on its head.
As the final whistle echoed in the Puebla night, the table took on a new complexion. La Franja remains at the foot but now with a glimmer of escape. Tijuana stay sixth, still inside the playoff places, but the sting of this defeat will linger—especially with crucial matches ahead.
For Puebla, belief is rekindled, their survival hopes buoyed by a night of improbable drama. For Xolos, the lesson is clear: in Liga MX, no advantage is ever safe, and destiny, like a late-night lead, can vanish in an instant.