CELAYA (Interstat) — Celaya scored twice in the 45th minute and held off Cordobes FC 2-1 at Estadio Miguel Alemán Valdés on Saturday. The home side turned a tight contest into a two-goal lead just before halftime. Cordobes FC pulled one back with a 67th-minute goal, but Celaya kept its composure through the closing stages and secured the result. The match was played at the stadium in Celaya, where the hosts made their first-half pressure count and protected the advantage after the break. Celaya was the home team, and Cordobes FC was the visiting side. Celaya led 2-0 at halftime and carried that advantage into the second half.

Celaya’s record in this competition moved to 2-2, and the club is also 2-2 across all competitions. Cordobes FC dropped to 2-3 in this competition and 2-3 overall. The outcome gave Celaya its second win of the season and sent Cordobes FC to a third defeat. For Celaya, the result provided a measure of recovery after recent setbacks. For Cordobes FC, the loss continued a run of alternating results that has left the club with two wins and three losses. The visitors had hoped to build on their recent victories but could not recover from the two-goal halftime deficit.

Celaya entered the match after a 3-2 win at Deportiva Venados, a 1-0 home loss to Chiapas and a 2-1 loss at Racing de Veracruz. Those results had left Celaya seeking consistency, and the home side found the breakthrough at the end of the first half. Cordobes FC had beaten Tigres de Alica 1-0 at home, won 2-0 at Los Cabos, lost 1-0 at home to Zacatepec and lost 2-0 at Lobos de la Universidad Latina de Mexico before the match. The visitors’ recent form had been mixed, and their attempt to recover from the halftime deficit fell short after the 67th-minute goal. Celaya’s first-half scoring burst gave the hosts a cushion that Cordobes FC could not erase.

The first half had moved toward the break without a breakthrough until Celaya struck in the 45th minute. The hosts scored again in the same minute, creating a margin that changed the shape of the second half. Cordobes FC found a response in the 67th minute, but Celaya maintained its advantage and closed out the win at home. The two-goal burst before halftime proved decisive, while Cordobes FC’s second-half goal came too late to produce a comeback. Celaya’s defense then protected the lead over the final stages, and the home side saw out the remainder of the match.

Cordobes FC’s season has included wins over Tigres de Alica and Los Cabos, along with losses to Lobos de la Universidad Latina de Mexico and Zacatepec before the latest result. Celaya’s campaign has featured a win at Deportiva Venados and losses to Chiapas and Racing de Veracruz. Celaya is next listed to face Majos in HUN: NB III, though the club’s immediate focus will be on building from the home victory. The result at Estadio Miguel Alemán Valdés gave Celaya a home win and added another defeat to Cordobes FC’s road account. The home side’s two first-half goals ultimately made the difference in a match that tightened after the visitors scored.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Celaya 1, Cordobes FC 1. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Celaya with a 70.8 percent probability to win. Celaya had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -1, and the total score of 3 went under the over/under line of 2.5.