Tijuana and Puebla drew 0-0 at Estadio Caliente on Friday night in Jornada 12 of the Liga MX Apertura 2026, a result that settled nothing in their direct fight for the last direct Liguilla place.
Both clubs moved from 15 points to 16. Tijuana hold eighth place provisionally, while Puebla fall to 10th provisionally after Pumas UNAM won at Atlante the same night.
Both clubs are now winless in five league matches. The rest of Jornada 12 is still to be played this weekend.
Result: Tijuana 0-0 Puebla
Goals: None.
Competition: Liga MX, Apertura 2026, Jornada 12
Venue: Estadio Caliente, Tijuana
Tijuana vs Puebla Match Recap
The first half ended 0-0. Tijuana produced the larger share of the chances, but neither side converted before the break.
Gilberto Mora missed a second straight match for Tijuana. The club has been managing hip inflammation for the midfielder, with no structural injury reported.
The second half followed the same pattern. Tijuana finished with 10 shots to Puebla’s six, and four shots on target to Puebla’s one.
Sebastian Abreu turned to his bench after halftime. Unai Bilbao, Joban Gonzalez, Elias Manoel and Diego Abreu all entered for Tijuana.
Gerardo Espinoza also made changes for Puebla. Eduardo Mustre, Heriberto Jurado and Eduardo Armenta were among the players introduced.
Puebla’s only shot on target came late, when Mustre tested Jose Rodriguez in the 82nd minute. The Tijuana goalkeeper saved it.
There were no red cards. Rafael Fernandez and Joban Gonzalez were booked for Tijuana, and Mathias Tomas and Iker Moreno were booked for Puebla.
The goalless result repeats the score from the clubs’ last meeting. They also drew 0-0 at Estadio Caliente in Jornada 5 of the Clausura 2026, on February 6, 2026.
Match Stats
| Stat | Tijuana | Puebla |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 58% | 42% |
| Shots | 10 | 6 |
| Shots on target | 4 | 1 |
| Corners | 12 | 3 |
Tijuana won 12 corners to Puebla’s three. That pressure produced no goal, and Puebla left with a point despite the corner count.
Starting Lineups
Tijuana: Jose Rodriguez; Rafael Fernandez, Jackson Porozo, Jesus Gomez, Jesus Vega; Ivan Tona, Francisco Gonzalez, Ignacio Rivero; Ramiro Arciga, Adonis Preciado, Mourad El Ghezouani.
Puebla: Ricardo Gutierrez; Iker Moreno, Facundo Almada, Juan Pablo Vargas, Fernando Monarrez; Alejandro Organista, Alonso Ramirez, Mathias Tomas; Bryan Garnica, Omar Moreno, Luifer Hernandez.
Three Takeaways From Tijuana vs Puebla
1. A draw in the direct duel helped neither club
This was eighth against ninth at kickoff, with both clubs on 15 points. A win would have created separation in the race for eighth.
Instead, both clubs took one point. Puebla also lost ground on the night, falling behind Pumas UNAM on 16 points as well.
There is no Play-In in the Apertura 2026. Only the top eight reach the Liguilla quarterfinals directly, which raises the cost of a missed home win and a missed away win alike. The full fixture list is on the Liga MX schedule page.
2. Tijuana created more and still could not score
The numbers favored the home side. Tijuana held 58 percent of possession, outshot Puebla 10 to six, and led four to one in shots on target.
The corner count was 12 to three. None of it produced a goal, and Tijuana have now gone five league matches without a win.
Mora’s absence was part of that picture again. Tijuana played a second straight match without their top scorer from the opening weeks of the tournament.
3. Puebla took a first away draw and a clean sheet
Puebla had no draws away from home before Friday. Their away record was three wins and three losses in six matches.
This 0-0 was their first away draw of the tournament. It came while conceding 12 corners and four shots on target.
Puebla are also winless in five. The point keeps them level with Tijuana, but their position is now more crowded, not less.
What the Result Means
Tijuana sit eighth provisionally with 16 points from 11 matches. Their record is four wins, four draws and three losses, with a goal difference of plus one.
Tijuana still hold a game in hand. Their pending Jornada 7 match at Club America is scheduled for October 28, 2026.
Puebla sit 10th provisionally with 16 points from 12 matches. Their record is four wins, four draws and four losses, with a goal difference of minus one.
Both positions are provisional. Six more Jornada 12 matches are scheduled for Saturday, October 17 and Sunday, October 18, 2026, and the table can move again before Jornada 13.
Neither club is qualified or eliminated. Five matchdays remain after this jornada, and the race for eighth now includes Pumas UNAM on the same points total. See the Liga MX viewing hub for how to follow the run-in.
Watch: Tijuana vs Puebla Highlights
Watch the official TUDN USA highlights of Tijuana vs Puebla below.
What Comes Next
Tijuana visit Toluca in Jornada 13 on Wednesday, October 21, 2026. Kickoff is 7:00 p.m. Mexico Central time, 8:00 p.m. CT and 9:00 p.m. ET, at Estadio Nemesio Diez.
Puebla host Monterrey in Jornada 13, also on Wednesday, October 21, 2026. Kickoff is 7:00 p.m. Mexico Central time, 8:00 p.m. CT and 9:00 p.m. ET, at Estadio Cuauhtemoc.
Both clubs play again four days later in Jornada 14. Neither has margin left from Friday’s draw. Match guides and viewing details are collected in the Liga MX viewing hub and on the full Liga MX schedule.
