This Friday’s action on Matchday 3 of the 2026 Liga BBVA MX Apertura Tournament was marked by contrasts: while the border region witnessed a veritable goal-scoring feast thanks to the Pumas’ spectacular performance, the Bajío region saw a complete lack of scoring.
FC Juárez 1-5 Pumas: A remarkable performance from Universidad
Pumas UNAM showed no mercy and put on a masterclass in dominance at the Benito Juárez Olympic Stadium. The Mexico City-based team once again proved that it is a lethal opponent on the road, notching its second straight away victory after defeating Toluca the previous matchday.
The hero of the night was Brazilian Juninho, who put on a show of his own and scored a spectacular hat trick that tore apart the home defense. The forward opened the scoring in the 18th minute, struck again just four minutes later (22′), and, to crush any hopes the home team might have had, capped off his dream night early in the second half (48′). The historic rout by the blue-and-gold was rounded out by a strike from Robert Morales before halftime (40′) and the final goal by Guillermo Martínez to complete the scoring in the 83rd minute.
For the Bravos, José Luis Rodríguez scored a consolation goal in first-half stoppage time (45+4′), a brief spark that failed to mask the nightmare.
- The historic stat: With this decisive victory, Pumas managed to win their first two away matches in the same tournament for the first time since the 2018 Apertura. On the flip side, FC Juárez has hit rock bottom and set an unprecedented negative record for the club: this is the first time it has lost its first three matches in a Liga BBVA MX season.
Atlético de San Luis 0-0 Xolos: Top Spot, but Lacking Firepower
At Estadio Libertad Financiera, Atlético de San Luis and Tijuana staged a highly intense and physical clash, but one that suffered from a lack of efficiency in front of the net. Although both teams created serious scoring opportunities, the goalkeepers and defensive walls dominated the match throughout the 90 minutes.
The statistics reflect how unusual the result is: this is only the second time in the last 11 head-to-head matches between the two teams that they’ve settled for a scoreless draw.
Despite the lack of scoring, the point earned was enough for the Xolos to retain the lead in the fledgling 2026 Apertura, reaching seven points thanks to the momentum of having won their first two matches. For its part, Atlético de San Luis has just two points in the standings and must immediately sharpen its finishing if it hopes to climb out of the bottom of the table.
