Cruz Azul triumphed with a narrow 1-0 victory against Puebla in an intense clash held this Sunday at the Cuauhtémoc Stadium. The decisive moment came when José Paradela found the net in the 78th minute, delivering the crucial goal for La Máquina.
The play unfolded when Gabriel Fernández delivered a well-placed cross that Paradela expertly controlled before firing past goalkeeper Ricardo Gutiérrez Hernández.
José Paradela was undoubtedly the man of the match, not only scoring the sole goal but also attempting to strike the goal six times throughout the encounter.
On the other hand, Ricardo Gutiérrez had a standout performance for Puebla, making 11 impressive saves to keep his team in the game.
Nicolás Larcamón, the head coach of Cruz Azul, opted for a 5-4-1 formation, featuring Andrés Gudiño in goal; a defensive line formed by Jorge Sánchez, Willer Ditta, Erik Lira, Gonzalo Piovi, and Rodolfo Rotondi; while Agustín Palavecino, Carlos Rodríguez, Luka Romero, and José Paradela made up the midfield; Gabriel Fernández led the attack.
Puebla, managed by Albert Espigares, took to the field with a 5-2-3 formation, which included Ricardo Gutiérrez guarding the nets; Iker Moreno, Eduardo Navarro, Luis Rey, Nicolás Díaz, and Fernando Monarrez in defense; Carlos Baltazar and Alejandro Organista in the midfield; with Edgar Guerra, Esteban Lozano, and Emiliano Gómez upfront.
The match was officiated by referee Mario Terrazas Chávez.
Looking ahead, Cruz Azul’s next championship fixture will see them traveling to face FC Juárez, while Puebla will host Toluca FC.
This victory positions Cruz Azul with 6 points, placing them fourth in the standings, whereas Puebla remains at 3 points, sitting in fourteenth place.
Substitutions for Cruz Azul
69’ 2T – Erik Lira for Jeremy Márquez
70’ 2T – Rodolfo Rotondi for Amaury Morales
82’ 2T – José Paradela for Rogelio Gonzalez
Booking for Cruz Azul:
39’ 2T – Mateo Levy
Substitutions for Puebla
34’ 1T – Carlos Baltazar for Ariel Gamarra
45’ 2T – Emiliano Gómez for Kevin Velasco, Jorge Sánchez for Omar Campos, Luka Romero for Mateo Levy
58’ 2T – Edgar Guerra for José Pachuca
81’ 2T – Esteban Lozano for Ignacio Maestro Puch, Alejandro Organista for Alonso Ramírez
Bookings for Puebla:
13’ 2T – Ricardo Gutiérrez
20’ 2T – Eduardo Navarro
Red Card for Puebla:
9’ 1T – Fernando Monarrez (direct red)