Futbol Mundial.—After blowing an early 2-0 lead, Los Gallos Blancos secured a heart-stopping victory over UANL at the death in Liga MX Matchday 3.
Here is the full match report for Futbol Mundial:
A blistering start by the home team
The Querétaro team took the field with confidence, dictating the pace from the opening whistle against one of the league’s most powerful teams. The reward for this high-pressure play was not long in coming. Just 11 minutes in, Alí Ávila opened the scoring, sparking euphoria among the home fans and throwing the Tigres defense into disarray.
Far from resting on their laurels, Querétaro kept their foot on the gas. Seven minutes later, in the 18th minute, Mateo Coronel worked his magic. The forward scored a true masterpiece of a goal, shaking off three Universidad de Guadalajara players to send the ball into the back of the net and put his team up 2-0—a surprising lead that seemed to set the stage for a historic rout.
The Tigres’ Resurgence
With their pride wounded, the UANL-led team began pushing forward and taking control of the ball. The Monterrey side’s class shone through just before halftime. In the 41st minute, Uruguayan Rodrigo Aguirre appeared in the box to score the 2-1 goal, restoring his team’s hope heading into the second half.
In the second half, Tigres came out all out on the attack, looking for the equalizer. Their persistence paid off in the 61st minute, when Juan Brunetta found the back of the net, scoring the 2-2 equalizer that momentarily silenced the stadium and left the impression that a comeback by the visitors was imminent.
A dramatic finish marked by VAR
The match entered a back-and-forth stretch where either team could have claimed the victory. As the clock ran out and everything pointed toward a draw, controversy struck. A play in the box involving the Felinos’ defender Diego Reyes prompted the head referee, Katia Itzel, to consult the VAR monitor. After a few tense minutes of review, the referee confirmed her decision: a penalty kick for the Gallos Blancos!
With immense pressure on his shoulders and the clock ticking down in stoppage time, Santiago Homenchenko stepped up to take the kick. In the 90+12′ minute, the Querétaro player masterfully converted the penalty kick to seal the final 3-2 score, giving Querétaro a nail-biting, dramatic, and crucial victory in this early stage of the 2026 Apertura.
