Tijuana - Pumas: Juninho’s late equalizer extends Pumas’ unbeaten run to eight matches
In a lively tijuana - pumas encounter at Estadio Caliente, Ramiro Árciga’s 40th-minute strike put the hosts ahead before Juninho pounced on a rebound in first-half stoppage to level and preserve a 1-1 draw. The result leaves Pumas unbeaten in the Clausura 2026 after eight rounds and keeps Tijuana searching for a first win in six matches.
Tijuana - Pumas: Juninho’s equalizer and timing
Juninho converted a rebound from the post at 44 minutes to make it 1-1, his fourth goal of the campaign, and celebrated what proved to be the decisive intervention that secured a point on the road. That finish came in the final moments of the first half and directly countered the advantage created by Ramiro Árciga earlier in the period.
Ramiro Árciga’s 40-minute strike and match momentum
Ramiro Árciga opened the scoring with a powerful shot from the edge of the area at the 40th minute that deflected off a defender and found the net, putting the fronterizo side in front. The timing of that goal intensified the closing stages of the first half, producing a flurry of action that culminated in Juninho’s equalizer.
Efraín Juárez’s setup, lineups and key interventions
Coach Efraín Juárez sent an attacking XI that pressured Tijuana’s goal at intervals and helped Pumas maintain its unbeaten sequence. Match lineups included José Antonio Rodríguez, Rafael Fernández, Unai Bilbao, Jackson Porozo, Jesús Vega, Iván Tona, Kevin Castañeda, Ramiro Árciga, Ignacio Rivero, Domingo Blanco and Mourad Daoudi; and Keylor Navas, Rodrigo López, Nathan Silva, Ángel Azuaje, Álvaro Angulo, Pedro Vite, Adalberto Carrasquilla, Alan Medina, Jordan Carrillo, Juninho and Robert Morales.
Keylor Navas made several important interventions for the visiting side but could not prevent Árciga’s opener. Early in the second half Pedro Vite nearly produced a comeback for the visitors when a long-range attempt struck the crossbar and bounced close to the goal line.
Gil Mora absence and Tijuana’s form problems
Tijuana continues to manage the absence of youngster Gil Mora, sidelined by a muscle injury that has kept him out for a significant portion of the tournament and removed a regular attacking outlet. The club’s inability to win in its last six outings — five draws and one loss — has left Xolos in 10th place with nine points, reflecting a broader offensive strain tied to that absence.
Standings implications and historical context for Pumas
Pumas’ draw moves the club provisionally to second place with 16 points, behind Chivas on 18, and keeps Pumas one of only two teams in the competition without a defeat, alongside Toluca. The unbeaten streak stretches to eight rounds in the Clausura 2026; the team is three matches away from matching its best start of 11 unbeaten rounds from the Clausura 2011, a campaign in which it ultimately won the championship. The club’s 10-match run in the Apertura 2020, which ended in a final loss, also remains in the record book as a comparison point for the current sequence.
Other Liga MX results and Fastly error detail
Across the rest of the weekend, Santos Laguna and Querétaro played to a 2-2 draw: Mateo Coronel scored at 13 minutes and Santiago Homenchenko converted a 30th-minute penalty for Querétaro; Lucas Di Yorio converted a 23rd-minute penalty and Carlos Gruezo equalized at 45+6 minutes for Santos. Santos remains the only team without a victory, holding two points, while Querétaro sits 15th with six points.
Mazatlán beat Pachuca 1-0 when Dudu Teodora scored in stoppage time before halftime; Mazatlán has now gone three rounds unbeaten and sits 14th with seven points, while Pachuca stands fifth with 14. Ciudad Juárez ended a five-match winless run by defeating Atlas 3-1, placing the Bravos 13th with seven points and dropping Atlas to sixth with 13.
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Immediate fixtures for Tijuana and Pumas
Tijuana will visit Atlas at Estadio Jalisco on Wednesday, 4 March at 21: 00 (Central time). Pumas return to Ciudad Universitaria to host Toluca on Tuesday, 3 March at 21: 10 (Central time), a match that will test whether the university side can maintain its unbeaten run against the bicampeón of Mexican football.
What makes this notable is how a single rebound altered the balance: Árciga’s strike gave Tijuana control and launched an intense period, but Juninho’s presence and timing ensured Pumas left the border with a point and an intact run of results that sustains their place near the top of the Clausura table.
