Pumas extend invicto with Juninho equalizer in Tijuana - Pumas
Pumas rescued a 1-1 draw in a high-intensity visit that kept the club unbeaten, in a match framed by quick goals and late drama. The tijuana - pumas matchup carried immediate significance: the point extended Pumas' unbeaten run to eight matches and left Tijuana searching for a way to re-start their campaign.
Tijuana - Pumas: Juninho forces share of points at Estadio Caliente
Ramiro Árciga fired Tijuana ahead with a powerful attempt from the edge of the area that took a deflection and beat the goalkeeper at the 40th minute. In first-half stoppage time, Juninho reacted to a rebound off the post and drove the ball into an open net at the 44th minute to level the score, his fourth goal of the campaign. The sequence left both teams tied 1-1 at the break and the score held through the second half.
Ramiro Árciga, Keylor Navas and the momentum swings
Árciga's strike injected tempo and provoked an intense period before the break; Keylor Navas had been influential in Pumas' area earlier but was unable to stop the shot that opened the scoring. Early in the second half, Pedro Vite tested the crossbar with a long-range effort that bounced near the goal line, a moment that nearly put Pumas ahead before Juninho's leveller.
Lineups: starters for Tijuana and Pumas
The Tijuana starting eleven listed: José Antonio Rodríguez, Rafael Fernández, Unai Bilbao, Jackson Porozo, Jesús Vega, Iván Tona, Kevin Castañeda, Ramiro Árciga, Ignacio Rivero, Domingo Blanco and Mourad Daoudi. Pumas' lineup was: Keylor Navas, Rodrigo López, Nathan Silva, Ángel Azuaje, Álvaro Angulo, Pedro Vite, Adalberto Carrasquilla, Alan Medina, Jordan Carrillo, Juninho and Robert Morales.
Standings and streaks: Pumas, Toluca and Chivas
The draw left Pumas unbeaten in eight jornadas of the Clausura, placing them provisionally in second with 16 units. Toluca is also without a loss in the tournament, making Pumas and Toluca the only teams who have yet to be beaten. Chivas sit atop with 18 points. Pumas are three rounds away from equaling an 11-match unbeaten start from the Clausura 2011, and they previously compiled a 10-match run to begin the Apertura 2020, milestones that frame their current stretch.
Tijuana's dynamics: form, ranking and Gil Mora's absence
Tijuana slipped to 10th in the table with nine points and arrived at six matches without a victory, a run made up of five draws and one defeat. The club continues to feel the effects of a muscular injury to young attacker Gil Mora, whose absence has been described as a continued headache because he typically helps open lanes for the Xolos' attack.
Schedule: what's next for both teams
Pumas will return to their home ground to host Toluca on Tuesday, 3 March at 21: 10 hours, time of central Mexico. Tijuana will travel to face Atlas at Estadio Jalisco on Wednesday, 4 March at 21: 00 hours, time of central Mexico.
Other Liga MX results shaping the table
Game day elsewhere produced several results that affected the lower half of the table. Santos Laguna and Querétaro played to a 2-2 draw: Mateo Coronel scored at 13 minutes and Santiago Homenchenko converted a penalty at 30 for Querétaro, while Lucas Di Yorio struck a penalty at 23 and Carlos Gruezo finished at 45'+6' for Santos. Santos remain the only club without a win in the tournament, holding just two points, and Querétaro occupy 15th with six points.
Mazatlán edged Pachuca 1-0 when Dudu Teodora converted in the second minute of stoppage before halftime. The result gave Mazatlán a third match without defeat (two wins and a draw) and moved them to 14th with seven points after a start that included five losses. Pachuca stand fifth with 14 points.
Ciudad Juárez ended a five-game winless stretch with a 3-1 home victory over Atlas. The Bravos rise to 13th with seven points while Atlas dropped to sixth with 13.
What makes this notable is the interplay between Pumas' growing consistency and Tijuana's stagnation: one club is consolidating points under pressure, while the other must adjust personnel and recover form amid injuries and a prolonged winless stretch.
