Football

Atlas are Back-to-Back Champions of Mexico Following Hard-Fought Clausura Victory

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Atlas became the third team in Liga MX history to be crowned back-to-back champions after defeating Pachuca in the Clausura final, but they were made to work hard for it by their determined opponents.

It means that Diego Cocca’s side will automatically clinch the Campeón de Campeones trophy as well, given that they won the Apertura championship earlier in the season.

With a 2-0 lead from the first leg, Atlas were expected to comfortably wrap up the win at Estadio Hidalgo. But Pachuca had other ideas and were back in the contest after just seven minutes when Renato Ibarra notched a fine solo goal.

A moment of misfortune on the stroke of halftime, a Pachuca defender was adjudged to have handled and allowed Julio Furch to restore Atlas’ two-goal cushion, but there was more drama to come in the first half. Nicolás Ibáñez headed home a cross for Los Tuzos in the ninth minute of first-half injury time, and that set up a grandstand second period.

However, it was not to be for Pachuca, and Atlas were crowned Clausura champions to cap a momentous season for the Rojinegros.

Craig Simpkin
A journalist and sportswriter for more than a decade, Craig is a follower of soccer from all over the globe – including Latin America. He has written for a number of newspapers and leading media outlets in the UK and around the world.
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