MEXICO CITY, MEXICO — In a match that defied every statistical expectation, Pumas UNAM secured a stunning 2-0 victory over Monterrey at Estadio Olímpico Universitario, with Álvaro Angulo's ninth-minute opener and a resolute defensive display — anchored by an extraordinary Keylor Navas — proving enough to dismantle one of Liga BBVA MX's most possession-hungry sides. Monterrey dominated the ball with 63.9% possession, pinning Pumas UNAM back for long stretches, but found the home side's goalkeeper and defensive structure utterly impenetrable when it mattered most.
From the opening whistle, Pumas showed an intent that belied their underdog status. Just nine minutes in, Rodrigo López delivered a precise cross from the right flank, and Álvaro Angulo met it with a composed left-footed finish, guiding the ball into the bottom right corner to give the home side a shock lead. The Estadio Olímpico Universitario erupted, and suddenly Pumas had a foothold in a match few expected them to control.
Monterrey responded with immediate pressure. Sergio Canales tested Navas with a header from the left side of the six-yard box in the 12th minute, only to be denied by a sharp stop at the top centre of the goal. The visitors continued to probe, with Luis Reyes unleashing a thunderous left-footed effort from more than 35 yards in the 31st minute — a strike that Navas did well to smother centrally. Pumas threatened on the counter, with Juninho firing a right-footed effort from outside the box in the 34th minute, only for Luis Cárdenas to push it away in the Monterrey goal.
The first half's most dramatic sequence arrived in the 24th minute, when Robert Morales headed a Pedro Vite cross goalward, forcing Cárdenas into a fine save at the top centre. From the resulting corner, however, Angulo pounced again — this time from very close range, tucking a left-footed shot high into the centre of the goal to double Pumas' advantage. Two goals, both from Angulo, and Pumas went into the break with a 2-0 cushion that felt both unlikely and entirely deserved given their clinical edge.
The second half became a story of Monterrey's mounting desperation and Navas's increasingly heroic resistance. Monterrey launched 25 shots at goal compared to Pumas UNAM's 13, and the Costa Rican veteran was called upon repeatedly. Sergio Canales tested him from outside the box in the 62nd minute, only to be denied with a low save to the bottom right corner. Uros Djurdjevic, Monterrey's most persistent threat, headed wide in the 63rd minute before seeing another header saved by Navas in the 86th minute from Gerardo Arteaga's cross — the Serbian striker's third denied attempt of the evening.
Monterrey's coaching staff turned to their bench in the 65th minute, introducing Gerardo Arteaga and Érick Aguirre in a bid to inject fresh energy, followed by Lucas Ocampos and Jesús Corona in the 74th minute. The changes brought renewed impetus — Ocampos headed wide in the 78th minute, and Corona forced another Navas save in the 81st minute from outside the box — but the Pumas goalkeeper simply refused to be beaten. Robert Morales had a chance to add a third for the hosts in the 71st minute, his right-footed effort from the left side of the box pushed away by Cárdenas, while Pumas substitute Guillermo Martínez saw a late effort blocked deep into stoppage time.
The statistics told a different story from the scoreline, with Monterrey dominating possession and chances but Pumas UNAM taking all three points. The home side's goalkeeper was kept busy making 10 saves — a heroic performance that will be talked about long after the final whistle. Pumas managed six shots on target from their 13 attempts, converting two with ruthless efficiency, while Monterrey's 10 shots on target yielded nothing against Navas's inspired display. Neither side received a yellow card, keeping the contest competitive but largely disciplined across 90-plus minutes.
The scoreboard resets, but the table does not — and this result underlines Pumas UNAM's capacity to grind out results against superior statistical opponents. Monterrey must regroup quickly and find answers to a defensive resilience that exposed every weakness in their finishing.
