Tigres saw off Real Cartagena 3-0 in the seventh round of the Clausura stage of Primera B on 29 August 2026. The visitors took the lead through D. Rativa's 41st-minute strike before extending their advantage after the break. Cartagena started the match as league leaders with 50 points from 29 fixtures, while Tigres arrived in sixth place on 34 points from 26 games.
And here's the thing about that opening goal — it came just before half-time when Cartagena thought they had momentum. Rativa finished a move that had been building since the 30th minute, and suddenly the visitors had taken the initiative. Y. Salas picked up a yellow card in the 45th minute, and the momentum had shifted before anyone could adjust.
By then Tigres had changed their approach. J. Martinez made it 2-0 in the 78th minute, and the hosts were suddenly chasing the game. Two substitutions came together at 79 — C. De Las Salas and E. Lopez — but by then the damage was done. D. Rativa was withdrawn at 77, having done his job, and the visitors were managing the situation with typical efficiency.
L. Palacios made it 3-0 in the 84th minute, and that was enough to settle the matter. K. Mosquera came on at 86 as Cartagena tried to find some dignity, but the result was never really in doubt. Three goals from eight shots on target — you'd rather have that than 133 attacks with nothing to show for it.
The statistics told the story of a match that didn't look like one from the surface. Cartagena held 63 per cent possession and registered 133 attacks, but Tigres were more clinical with their 37 per cent share. Five shots on target yielded nothing for the hosts, while Tigres converted three attempts into three goals. To be fair, the visitors didn't need corners — they had zero and still took the points.
The result moves Tigres further away from the drop zone while Cartagena remain top despite the defeat. The hosts had won their previous match 6-1 against Leonés, but this was a different kind of test. Tigres extended their recent form with a convincing away performance — they'd beaten Union Magdalena 1-0 and Envaldo 2-1 in their last two outings before this one.
