Cruz Azul and Pumas Draw 0-0 in Concacaf-Style Clausura 2026 Final First Leg

The Cementeros dominated the tempo but were repeatedly denied by a stellar Keylor Navas and the woodwork. Club Universidad returns home with a clean sheet for Sunday's final.

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@LigaBBVAMX

The opening chapter of the Liga MX Clausura 2026 Final delivered plenty of high-intensity drama but left the scoreboard untouched. Cruz Azul and Pumas UNAM played to a tactical 0-0 stalemate in the first leg at the Estadio Ciudad de los Deportes. While La Maquina commanded possession and crafted the most dangerous scoring sequences, an absolute lack of clinical finishing combined with a legendary goalkeeping display from Costa Rican international Keylor Navas kept the title series completely up for grabs.

From the opening whistle, the roster managed by Joel Huiqui established an aggressive high-press, suffocating the auriazul midfield. In the 9th minute, Jose Paradela tested the visitors early with a powerful strike that forced an acrobatic save from Navas. The home side kept pushing but faced controversy at the 25-minute mark; referee Ismael Rosario Lopez Peñuelas originally awarded a penalty for a foul on Charly Rodriguez by Alvaro Angulo. However, following a extensive VAR review, the decision was overturned due to an offside infraction in the buildup by the Cementeros' captain.

The blueprint remained unchanged during the second half. Cruz Azul prioritized stretching the pitch via the wings and nearly found the breakthrough when Rodriguez's low drive rattled off the base of the right post. Relegated to a low defensive block, Pumas trusted their counter-attacking speed anchored by Jordan Carrillo and Uriel Antuna. The 'Brujo' had the golden opportunity for the visitors in the 63rd minute, but his point-blank attempt ricocheted sharply off the face of Colombian goalkeeper Kevin Mier to keep the clean sheet intact.

In the final minutes, Huiqui subbed on striker Gabriel 'Toro' Fernandez to add aerial presence, but Pumas' central defense stood firm. In a shocking twist during the 89th minute, Paraguayan attacker Robert Morales almost pulled off a late heist for the Pedregal squad, unleashing a fierce shot that slammed violently off the crossbar, silencing the home crowd.

With this outcome, the stage is set for a winner-take-all second leg at the Estadio Olimpico Universitario this Sunday night. Pumas escape with an advantageous mental edge after holding off the hometown storm, while Cruz Azul heads to the capital city's south side needing to find their scoring boots to claim the Liga MX trophy.