Pumas fall to San Luis as VAR penalties decide the affair
Pumas UNAM played Atlético San Luis in the tenth round of the Apertura and lost 2:3 at the Estadio Olímpico Universitario. The visitors moved into a 2:0 lead before the break through two penalties, and the hosts could not find a way back despite dominating possession. Sebastián Salles-Lamonge scored twice from the spot — one after a VAR penalty call in the 21st minute — and Olávio Vieira dos Santos Júnior added a late spot-kick after a 89th-minute VAR decision.
The hosts had their own moments. Rodrigo López pulled one back in the 52nd minute and David Rodriguez restored parity a few minutes later, but Rafael Llorente's 77th-minute effort was confirmed only after a VAR check. The home side pushed for a winner, but the away defence held firm.
Substitutions came thick and fast in the second half. Israel Luna, Felipe Mora, Pablo Bennevendo, David Rodriguez, Rafael Llorente, Rodrigo López, Sebastián Salles-Lamonge and Anderson Duarte all entered the fray. The managers were trying to change the momentum, but the game had already slipped away from the hosts.
The statistics tell a familiar story. Pumas enjoyed 54 per cent of the ball and launched 100 attacks, but their expected goals totalled just 1.4. San Luis managed 2.35 xG from fewer chances — four big chances created against one — and converted them with 64 per cent accuracy on target. The hosts had 11 corners to 2, but the corners made little difference.
By then, the visitors were closing in on their first away win of the season. They had not won since August 31, when they beat Monterrey 3:1, and this result lifted them off the bottom of the table. Pumas remain in 12th place with nine points, while San Luis move up to 16th with 12.
We had backed the home side to win, but the match went the other way. Two early penalties — one confirmed by VAR — set the tone, and Pumas never recovered. The coaching staff will need to look at how the defence handled those set-pieces, because the line barely moved after the first one.
