Club America vs Pumas UNAM LIVE: Juninho breaks the deadlock early! (0-1) Liga MX 2026 Clausura quarterfinals first leg

The goal had been coming, as Pumas UNAM showed greater intensity from the start and maintained near-perfect control of possession. Club America have yet to respond and are struggling to find their rhythm early on.

Pumas UNAM strike early after recovering the ball from a poor pass, as Carrillo sets up Juninho, who fires a precise shot from outside the box to open the scoring.

The match kicks off at Estadio Azteca as Club America and Pumas UNAM get the first leg of this Clasico Capitalino series underway.

Both teams are on the field at Estadio Azteca for the pregame handshake and formalities ahead of kickoff in this Clasico Capitalino.

Here's Puma's confirmed lineup for the quarterfinal first leg against America: Keylor Navas; Rodrigo Lopez, Nathanael Ananias, Ruben Duarte; Juninho, Adalberto Carrasquilla, Pedro Vite, Jordan Carrillo, Alvaro Angulo; Uriel Antuna, Robert Morales

Club America confirmed lineup: Rodolfo Cota; Kevin Alvarez, Sebastian Caceres, Miguel Vazquez, Cristian Borja; Erick Sanchez, Rodrigo Dourado; Alex Zendejas, Alexis Gutierrez, Isaias Violante; Patricio Salas

Pumas UNAM will head into the first leg of the quarterfinals without two key players, Alan Medina and Guillermo Martinez. The latter will also be joining Mexico in the coming days, leaving Pumas with important adjustments to make for this matchup against Club America.

Club America, meanwhile, will deal with a total of five absences for this opening game. Andre Jardine’s squad will be without Dagoberto Espinoza, Luis Angel Malagon, Victor Davila, Jose Zuniga, and Israel Reyes.

It is worth noting that Israel Reyes’ absence is due to his upcoming commitment with Mexico, as he is set to join the team in the next few days.

According to Gibran Araige, the coaching staff led by Andre Jardine has raised doubts about Braian Rodriguez’s availability for this afternoon’s first leg of the quarterfinals. The Uruguayan attacker picked up discomfort and will be evaluated hours before the Clasico Capitalino to determine whether he will be on the bench or miss the start of the Liguilla.

Despite the concern, Club America remain hopeful that Braian Rodriguez will be available for a match in which the Aguilas enter as the underdogs to take the series.

Club America last lifted a trophy in the Apertura 2024, a title that sealed their championship run after winning the final in Monterrey. That triumph marked a historic stretch for the Aguilas, and in terms of timing, they have only gone about a year without being champions.

Pumas UNAM were last crowned champions in the Clausura 2011, when they defeated Morelia in the final to secure their seventh title. Since then, Pumas have reached two finals, Apertura 2015 and Guard1anes 2020, but they fell short on both occasions.

It has been 15 years since Pumas last won a championship, which has increased the sense of urgency among their fans. That expectation has grown even more given the strong performances the team have delivered in the current tournament under Efrain Juarez.

Club America vs Pumas UNAM will get underway at 7:00 PM ET (PT: 4:00 PM)

Watch this Liga MX 2026 Clausura quarterfinals first leg match between Club America and Pumas UNAM live in the USA on Fubo, DirecTV Stream, CBS Sports Network, Univision, TUDN and ViX.

Welcome to our live blog of this Clasico Capitalino showdown! Club America face Pumas UNAM in a high-stakes battle as the Liguilla begins, with history, pride, and a spot in the semifinals on the line.

Stay with us for key information and minute-by-minute updates as Club America and Pumas UNAM go head-to-head in this quarterfinal first leg!