MARACAY (Interstat) — Aragua defeated Monagas B 3-2 on Sunday at Estadio Olímpico Hermanos Ghersi Páez, using a late first-half burst to erase a two-goal deficit and secure a narrow home result in the competition.

Monagas B controlled the early stages and scored twice in the 32nd minute, putting Aragua under pressure before halftime. The visitors’ two goals gave them a 2-0 lead and forced the home side to respond before the break.

Aragua answered with two goals in the 45th minute plus stoppage time, leveling the match before the interval. The scoring summary listed those two Aragua goals back-to-back, and the final score of 3-2 reflected a five-goal match in which the home side finished with three goals and Monagas B with two. The sequence kept the match tight into the second half and left Monagas B chasing the game after having built its early advantage.

Aragua’s home result added to a strong start in the competition. Aragua is now 2-0-1 in the competition and 4-1-1 across all competitions. Monagas B is 2-1 in the competition and 2-1 across all competitions. The away side had entered the match with recent shutout wins over Miranda and Avila, but it could not turn its early two-goal advantage into a full result.

Aragua’s recent form had included a loss at La Guaira, a draw at Dynamo Puerto FC, home wins over Caracas and Mineros, and a road win at Barquisimeto. That run gave the home side momentum before the match, and Aragua used it to recover after conceding twice in the same minute. Monagas B, meanwhile, had won its previous two competition matches by 1-0 scores, but the visitors were unable to hold their lead after Aragua found two goals before halftime.

The match at Estadio Olímpico Hermanos Ghersi Páez remained competitive after the break, with Aragua protecting the advantage and Monagas B searching for an equalizer. The final score gave Aragua the home win and left Monagas B with its first loss in the competition. The result also affected the early-season records for both sides, with Aragua remaining unbeaten in competition play and Monagas B dropping to 2-1.

Monagas B’s early lead came from two goals in the same minute, a burst that briefly put the visitors in position for a third straight competition win. Aragua responded before the break and then managed the second half well enough to keep the lead. The home side’s overall record now stands at four wins, one loss and one draw, while Monagas B’s overall mark is two wins and one loss. The competition records tell a similar story, with Aragua at two wins, no losses and one draw and Monagas B at two wins and one loss.

Aragua’s scoring total of three came against a Monagas B side that scored two goals in the match. The home team’s ability to respond after falling behind shaped the result more than the early control Monagas B showed. The visitors’ two goals in the 32nd minute had given them a clear opening, but Aragua’s two goals in the 45th minute plus stoppage time changed the match before the second half began.

Aragua’s previous results this season included a 3-0 loss at La Guaira, a 2-2 draw at Dynamo Puerto FC, a 3-1 home win over Caracas, a 3-0 home win over Mineros and a 4-1 road win at Barquisimeto. Monagas B’s previous results were 1-0 home wins over Miranda and Avila. Those results framed the matchup between one side carrying strong overall form and another that had been efficient in low-scoring wins.

The Interstat game simulator had projected a final score of Aragua 1, Monagas B 1. The Interstat ELO system had projected Aragua with a 79.2 percent probability to win. Aragua had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -0.5. The total score of 5 went under the over/under line of 2.5.