Pumas UNAM beat Atlante 2-1 at Estadio Banorte on Friday night in Jornada 12 of the Liga MX Apertura 2026, with Juninho scoring both goals for the visitors.
The win ends a four-match winless run in the league for Pumas. It also moves them to 16 points from 12 matches, level on points with eighth-place Tijuana.
Atlante stay 16th with 11 points. They lost head coach Miguel Herrera to a first-half dismissal and then lost the match to Juninho’s second goal in the 72nd minute.
Result: Atlante 1-2 Pumas UNAM
Goals: Atlante: Luis Calzadilla 45+2′. Pumas UNAM: Juninho 42′, 72′.
Competition: Liga MX, Apertura 2026, Jornada 12
Venue: Estadio Banorte, Mexico City
Atlante vs Pumas UNAM Match Recap
Atlante started the night with the clearer chances. Jhojan Julio tested Keylor Navas twice in the first half, in the 21st and 32nd minutes, and the Pumas goalkeeper kept both efforts out.
The match changed in the first half when Atlante head coach Miguel Herrera was sent off. Atlante played the rest of the night without their head coach in the technical area.
Pumas opened the scoring in the 42nd minute. Robert Morales headed the ball across the area and Juninho finished from close range with his right foot for the 0-1.
Atlante answered in stoppage time. Edgar Jimenez set up Luis Calzadilla, who scored from outside the area at 45+2′ to send the teams in level at 1-1.
Calzadilla forced another save from Navas before the break. Eugenio Pizzuto did the same in the 54th minute, with a shot from outside the area.
Atlante goalkeeper Óscar Jiménez was also called on in the second half. He saved from Uriel Antuna in the 60th minute to keep the score at 1-1.
The winner came in the 72nd minute. Adalberto Carrasquilla supplied the pass and Juninho finished with his left foot from the center of the area for the 1-2.
Atlante pushed for a second equalizer in the closing minutes. Luis Puente and Diogo Bagui both headed wide in the 82nd minute, and the home side won a series of late corners without finding a goal.
There were no red cards for any player and no penalties in the match. Aaron Quiros, Pablo Bennevendo and Walter Portales were the three players booked.
Starting Lineups
Atlante: Óscar Jiménez; Walter Portales, Nico Carrera, Eduardo Tercero, Aarón Quirós, Edgar Jiménez; Martín Sarrafiore, Eugenio Pizzuto, Luis Calzadilla; Jhojan Julio, Luis Puente.
Pumas UNAM: Keylor Navas; Rodrigo López, Pablo Bennevendo, Nathan Silva, Rubén Duarte; Uriel Antuna, Adalberto Carrasquilla, Pedro Vite, Alan Medina; Robert Morales, Juninho.
Three Takeaways From Atlante vs Pumas UNAM
1. Juninho decided the match and moved up the scoring table
Juninho scored in the 42nd and 72nd minutes, one goal in each half. Both finishes came from inside the area, from a Morales header and a Carrasquilla pass.
The brace takes Juninho to eight league goals in the Apertura 2026. He now sits second in the scoring table, behind Salomón Rondón of Pachuca on 12.
2. Pumas ended their winless run without César Huerta
Pumas had gone four league matches without a win since beating Leon in Jornada 7. The run brought two draws and two defeats, including the 3-3 draw with Cruz Azul in Jornada 11.
They ended that run without César Huerta, who missed the match through suspension. The three points came instead from Juninho’s two goals and a series of saves from Navas, including two from Julio in the first half.
3. Atlante lost their coach, then lost the points
Herrera’s first-half dismissal left Atlante without their head coach for more than half the match. His team still equalized before halftime, through Calzadilla in stoppage time.
The winner, though, went to Pumas. Atlante have now won two of their 12 league matches, and their next chance to close the gap comes away to last-place FC Juarez.
What the Result Means
Pumas move up to ninth place with 16 points from 12 matches, with four wins, four draws and four defeats. They are level on points with Tijuana in eighth and with Puebla in 10th.
Tijuana stay ahead of Pumas on goal difference. Eighth place carries the last direct place in the Liguilla quarter-finals, because the Apertura 2026 has no Play-In round.
Every position in this section is provisional. Six matches in Jornada 12 are still to be played on Saturday and Sunday, and they can move Pumas before the round closes. The full fixture list is on the Liga MX schedule page.
Atlante stay 16th with 11 points from 12 matches, with two wins, five draws and five defeats. They are five points behind the eighth-place cutoff as the table stands.
Neither club is mathematically qualified or eliminated. Five matchdays remain after Jornada 12, and the Liga MX run-in now tightens for both clubs.
Watch: Atlante vs Pumas UNAM Highlights
Watch the official TUDN USA highlights of Atlante vs Pumas UNAM below.
What Comes Next
Atlante travel to face FC Juarez in Jornada 13 on Tuesday, October 20, 2026. Kickoff at Estadio Olimpico Benito Juarez is at 7:00 p.m. local time in Ciudad Juarez, 8:00 p.m. CT.
Pumas UNAM travel to face Santos Laguna in Jornada 13 on Wednesday, October 21, 2026. Kickoff at Estadio TSM Corona is at 9:10 p.m. local time in Torreon, 10:10 p.m. CT.
U.S. viewing information for both matches is on the Liga MX viewing hub. Kickoff times for the full Jornada 13 round are listed on the Liga MX schedule page.
