Tijuana - Pumas: tijuana - pumas finish 1-1 as Pumas extend unbeaten run
In a back-and-forth match at Estadio Caliente, tijuana - pumas ended 1-1 as Ramiro Árciga put the hosts ahead and Juninho forced a stoppage-time equalizer to preserve Pumas' eight-match unbeaten run in the Clausura. The draw leaves Pumas poised in the upper table while Tijuana continue to search for a win.
Tijuana - Pumas: goals and turning points at the Mictlán
Ramiro Árciga opened the scoring for the fronterizo side with a powerful shot from the edge of the area that took a deflection and found the net at about the 40th minute. Keylor Navas was a presence in the felina area and had important interventions, but he could not keep out Árciga's strike. In first-half stoppage time, the Brazilian forward Juninho nodded in a rebound off the post to equalize at roughly the 44th minute, securing the point for Pumas. Early in the second half, Pedro Vite rattled the crossbar with a long-range effort that bounced close to the line, a near chance that might have changed the outcome.
Pumas' unbeaten run, standings and historical runs
Pumas stretched their Clausura unbeaten streak to eight matches with the draw, leaving them provisionally in second place with 16 units, behind Chivas with 18 points; Chivas will visit the Diablos Rojos this Saturday. Pumas and Toluca remain the only teams in the championship without a loss. The university side sits three matches shy of equaling an earlier best start: Pumas went 11 matches unbeaten in the Clausura 2011 and had a 10-match run without defeat in the Apertura 2020.
Pumas will return to Ciudad Universitaria to host Toluca on Tuesday, March 3 at 21: 10 horas, tiempo del centro de México.
Efraín Juárez's selection and Pumas starting XI
Coach Efraín Juárez did not shy away from the complex field at Tijuana, deploying an offensive XI that pressed the home goal in several spells. Pumas' listed lineup for the match included Keylor Navas, Rodrigo López, Nathan Silva, Ángel Azuaje, Álvaro Angulo, Pedro Vite, Adalberto Carrasquilla, Alan Medina, Jordan Carrillo, Juninho and Robert Morales. Juninho, the Brazilian forward, finished with his fourth goal of the campaign and was described as the match hero for rescuing the draw.
Tijuana struggles, Gil Mora injury and the Xolos' lineup
Tijuana have gone six matches without a victory—five draws and one defeat—dropping them to 10th with nine points. The fronterizo squad continues to cope with the absence of young attacker Gil Mora, who has been sidelined for much of the tournament by a muscular injury. Tijuana's listed lineup for the game read: José Antonio Rodríguez, Rafael Fernández, Unai Bilbao, Jackson Porozo, Jesús Vega, Iván Tona, Kevin Castañeda, Ramiro Árciga, Ignacio Rivero, Domingo Blanco and Mourad Daoudi.
The Xolos will visit Atlas at Estadio Jalisco on Wednesday, March 4 at 21: 00 horas, tiempo del centro de México.
Other Liga MX results and how the table shifted
Santos Laguna fought back twice but settled for a 2-2 draw at Querétaro. Mateo Coronel struck at the 13th minute and Santiago Homenchenko converted a penalty at the 30th for the Gallos; Lucas Di Yorio replied from the spot at the 23rd and Carlos Gruezo scored at 45'+6' for Santos. Santos remains the only team without a win, stuck at two points at the bottom of the standings, while Querétaro sits 15th with six units.
Mazatlán edged Pachuca 1-0 thanks to a Dudu Teodora goal in the second minute of stoppage time before the break; Mazatlán have gone three matches unbeaten (two wins and a draw) and sit 14th with seven points after a start that included five defeats, while Pachuca are fifth with 14 points.
Ciudad Juárez ended a five-match winless run with a 3-1 home victory over Atlas. The result puts the Bravos 13th with seven points and drops Atlas to sixth with 13.
