Homenchenko Heroics Seal Queretaro’s 3-2 Tigres Thriller

Queretaro 3-2 Tigres UANL: Liga MX Apertura Drama

At the stroke of midnight in Liga MX, Santiago Homenchenko buried a 102nd-minute penalty to complete a jaw-dropping 3-2 victory for Club Queretaro over Tigres UANL in the Apertura’s third round – a game that had everything but a red card.

Queretaro’s Lightning Start

The Estadio Corregidora erupted inside 11 minutes when Ali Ávila pounced on hesitant Tigres defending, rifling a low finish past Nahuel Guzmán before wheeling away shirtless in ecstasy. Seven minutes later, it was 2-0 – Mateo Coronel dancing past Vladimir Loroña before bending a beauty into the far corner, Homenchenko’s through-ball splitting Tigres like a ripe piñata.

Suddenly, the Monterrey giants were unraveling. Loroña and Fernando Gorriarán saw yellows in quick succession as Queretaro’s high press (winning 60% of duels early) turned possession into panic.

Tigres UANL Fight Back

Rodrigo Aguirre halved the deficit before half-time, nodding home Juan Brunetta’s sublime chipped cross. But Queretaro’s backline held firm through Allison’s fingertip save on César Araújo and Lucas Abascia’s last-ditch block on Aguirre.

The second half became Brunetta’s show – the Argentine maestro converting a 61st-minute penalty after a handball, then pulling strings as Tigres fired 13 blocked shots (Queretaro bodies flying like human torpedoes).

Yet for all their 65% possession and 25 total shots, Tigres couldn’t kill the game. Seven yellow cards (six for Queretaro) turned the match into a war of attrition, until Homenchenko – already on a booking – stepped up in the 12th minute of added time to smash home the winner from the spot.

What This Means For Liga MX

Queretaro’s smash-and-grab (just 35% possession, but 10 shots inside the box) lifts them to the Apertura’s upper reaches, while Tigres must regroup after wasting 2.65 xG. For Eduardo Gonzalez’s men, this is the stuff of legend – a night when defensive steel (19 tackles) met clinical finishing (3 goals from 1.23 xG). Liga MX at its chaotic, unforgettable best.