Cruz Azul beat Tigres UANL 3-2 at Estadio Universitario on Saturday, November 7, 2026, in Jornada 16 of the Liga MX Apertura 2026, with Carlos Rotondi scoring the winner in the 78th minute.
The win moves Cruz Azul provisionally top of the table on 32 points. It is their fifth straight league win, and they are now seven league matches without defeat.
Nicolás Ibáñez, Andrés Montaño and Rotondi scored for Cruz Azul. Juan Brunetta and Guillermo MartÃnez scored for Tigres UANL.
Result: Tigres UANL 2-3 Cruz Azul
Goals: Tigres UANL: Juan Brunetta 39′, Guillermo Martinez 65′. Cruz Azul: Nicolas Ibanez 24′, Andres Montano 51′ (pen.), Carlos Rotondi 78′.
Competition: Liga MX Apertura 2026, Jornada 16
Venue: Estadio Universitario
Tigres UANL vs Cruz Azul Match Recap
Ibáñez opened the scoring in the 24th minute against his former club. Montaño provided the assist, and Ibáñez finished left-footed from inside the area to put Cruz Azul 1-0 ahead.
Brunetta equalized in the 39th minute. Fernando Gorriarán provided the assist, and Brunetta finished right-footed low to make the score 1-1 at halftime.
Tigres UANL made a change at halftime. Joaquim entered in the 46th minute in place of Rafael Guerrero.
Cruz Azul were awarded a penalty after a VAR decision in the 47th minute. Diego Sánchez fouled Omar Campos in the area.
Montaño converted the penalty in the 51st minute. His left-footed effort went to the center and put Cruz Azul 2-1 ahead.
Cruz Azul made two changes in the 64th minute. AgustÃn Palavecino replaced Érik Lira, and Carlos RodrÃguez replaced Luka Romero.
MartÃnez equalized in the 65th minute. His left-footed close-range effort went low by the left post to make the score 2-2.
Tigres UANL made a double change in the 66th minute. Ricardo Monreal replaced Diego Sánchez, and Diego Lainez replaced Henrique Simeone.
Rotondi entered for Cruz Azul in the 69th minute, replacing Omar Campos. Willer Ditta entered in the 70th minute, replacing Jorge Rodarte.
Christian Ebere also entered for Cruz Azul, replacing Ibáñez in the closing stages.
Rotondi scored the winner in the 78th minute. Jeremy Márquez provided the assist with a cross, and Rotondi finished left-footed from inside the area to make it 3-2.
Tigres UANL made two more changes in the 84th minute. Rodrigo Aguirre replaced MartÃnez, and Ozziel Herrera replaced Emiliano Gómez.
Kevin Mier saved an effort from Brunetta in the 86th minute, keeping the score at 3-2.
There were no red cards. Tigres UANL received three yellow cards: Mauro Lainez 37′, Brunetta 51′ and Gorriarán 81′.
Cruz Azul received four yellow cards: José Paradela 29′, Érik Lira 34′, Rotondi 75′ and Jesús Orozco 90+5′.
Cruz Azul arrived after a 2-1 win against Leon in Jornada 15. Tigres UANL arrived after a 3-0 defeat at Pachuca.
Match Stats
| Statistic | Tigres UANL | Cruz Azul |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 48% | 52% |
| Shots | 18 | 14 |
| Shots on target | 9 | 7 |
| Corners | 10 | 4 |
| Saves | 4 | 7 |
Source: Sportradar match data.
Starting Lineups
Tigres UANL: Nahuel Guzmán; Vladimir Loroña, Rafael Guerrero, Diego Sánchez, Mauro Lainez; César Araujo, Fernando Gorriarán, Juan Brunetta, Henrique Simeone, Emiliano Gómez; Guillermo MartÃnez.
Cruz Azul: Kevin Mier; Jorge Rodarte, Gonzalo Piovi, Jesús Orozco, Omar Campos; Érik Lira, Jeremy Márquez, Andrés Montaño, José Paradela, Luka Romero; Nicolás Ibáñez.
Three Takeaways From Tigres UANL vs Cruz Azul
1. Cruz Azul Move Provisionally Top on 32 Points
Cruz Azul move provisionally top on 32 points from 16 matches.
It is their fifth straight league win, and they are now seven league matches without defeat.
The top seed is not decided yet. It will be decided on Jornada 17, when Cruz Azul visit Chivas de Guadalajara.
2. Montaño Scores a Penalty in Four Straight League Matches
Montaño has scored in four straight league matches, with a penalty in each one: at Pachuca in Jornada 13, at Queretaro in Jornada 14, against Leon in Jornada 15 and at Tigres UANL here.
Ibáñez also scored against his former club. He scored for Cruz Azul against Tigres UANL in the February 2026 meeting as well.
3. Tigres UANL Are Winless in Five and Already Eliminated
Tigres UANL are winless in five league matches. The sequence from Jornada 12 to Jornada 16 is draw, defeat, draw, defeat and this defeat.
They stay 15th on 15 points from 16 matches.
They were already eliminated. They close the tournament at home against Club America in Jornada 17.
What the Result Means
Cruz Azul are provisionally first on 32 points from 16 matches: 10 wins, two draws and four defeats, with 37 goals scored and 26 conceded for a goal difference of plus 11.
They had already clinched a direct place in the Liguilla quarterfinals in Jornada 15. Apertura 2026 has no Play-In, and only the top eight advance directly to the quarterfinals.
First place is provisional only. Club America play at Pumas UNAM later on Saturday, and Chivas de Guadalajara play at Leon on Sunday, so both can still pass Cruz Azul in this jornada.
Tigres UANL stay 15th on 15 points from 16 matches, with three wins, six draws and seven defeats. They were already eliminated, and their 15th place is final for this jornada.
See the Cruz Azul viewing guide for how to watch their remaining match in the United States.
Watch: Tigres UANL vs Cruz Azul Highlights
What Comes Next
The November FIFA break comes first.
Tigres UANL host Club America on Saturday, November 21, 2026, at 21:00 CT at Estadio Universitario, in their final match of the regular season.
Cruz Azul visit Chivas de Guadalajara on Sunday, November 22, 2026, at 17:07 CT at Estadio Akron.
See the Liga MX viewing hub and the Liga MX schedule page for viewing information on both matches.
