Tigres - Pachuca ends 2-1 after late Kenedy strike and a decisive red card
Pachuca overturned a first-half deficit to beat Tigres 2-1 at Estadio Universitario on Friday, Feb. 20, 2026, in a tigres - pachuca marked by a second-half sending-off and a late long-range winner that sealed the comeback.
Tigres - Pachuca: Pereira’s red card shifts the game
Ozziel Herrera put Tigres ahead in the first half with a finish from inside the area after a pass from Ángel Correa, and the home side looked set to protect that lead early in the second half. The match pivoted when Joaquim Pereira was sent off for a foul on Alexei Domínguez; the decision left Tigres with ten men and allowed Pachuca to press for an equalizer. The red card followed a VAR review that upgraded the initial yellow to a straight red, changing how Tigres had to defend for the remainder of the match.
Kenedy’s late strike and Rondón’s header fuel the comeback
With a man advantage, Pachuca grew into the game. Salomón Rondón headed home from a corner to level the score and shift momentum toward the visitors. Late in the contest, Robert Kenedy collected the ball near midfield and unleashed a long-range shot that caught goalkeeper Nahuel Guzmán off his line and produced the 2-1 winner. The turnaround left Tigres searching for answers after taking the lead in the first half.
Lineups, substitutions and reactions
Tigres started with Nahuel Guzmán in goal and a back line that included Jesús Garza, Jesús Angulo, Romulo Zwarg and Joaquim Pereira; midfielders included Fernando Gorriarán and Diego Lainez, while Ángel Correa and Ozziel Herrera featured in attack. Pachuca’s XI included Carlos Moreno in goal, Sergio Rodríguez, Oussama Idrisi, Alexei Domínguez and Salomón Rondón up front. Enner Valencia returned from injury for Pachuca and entered the match as a substitute for Sergio Rodríguez, entering at the 60th minute and receiving an ovation from the crowd.
After the game, captain Guido Pizarro addressed the squad: "En el partido de hoy, hasta la expulsión éramos mejores; el equipo estaba bien, pero no se trata de responsabilizar a alguien, sino de seguir trabajando internamente para apuntar a lo que queremos y a lo que representa esta camiseta. " The dismissal of Joaquim Pereira was singled out as the turning point, with many observers calling him the villain of the encounter following the sending-off.
Next fixtures and immediate consequences
The result gave Pachuca a significant win on the road; the visitors climbed in the table after the comeback, while Tigres suffered another setback as they prepare for a challenging run of matches. Tigres will visit América in the eighth jornada of the Clausura 2026, and Pachuca will face Mazatlán, with Pachuca entering that match as favorite.
