Puebla vs Tlaxcala

The match — Puebla's second pre-season outing ahead of the Apertura 2026 Liga MX campaign — was contested across four 35-minute periods, allowing Espinoza to rotate liberally between his likely starters and squad players.

The first two periods featured what Puebla's coaching staff consider their strongest XI. Hernandez, the Venezuelan striker signed from Colombian football, broke the deadlock to put La Franja ahead. The second goal came via an own goal by a Tlaxcala defender, giving the Liga MX side a 2-0 advantage at the midway point.

For the second half of the match (periods three and four), Espinoza turned to his bench players. Right-back Rodrigo Pachuca made it 3-0 with a well-taken finish to cap a dominant display.

Tlaxcala pulled one back late in the contest — the Coyotes' consolation came in the final stages — though the identity of the goalscorer was not published in available match reports at the time of writing.

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The opening goal from Luifer Hernandez in the first 35-minute period set the tone. Once Puebla had established a two-goal lead — courtesy of the own goal — before the half-time break, Tlaxcala faced a mountain too steep to climb against a Liga MX side using its full squad depth. The four-period format with heavy rotation made a sustained Tlaxcala response unlikely after the hosts' quick-fire double.

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• Luifer Hernandez — The Venezuelan striker opened his pre-season account with the first goal, showing sharp movement in the box. A new arrival for the Apertura 2026 season, this was an encouraging early sign of his integration into Espinoza's system.

• Rodrigo Pachuca — The right-back pushed forward to score Puebla's third, capping his contribution with a goal from open play. His willingness to join the attack offers Espinoza an additional dimension on the flank.

• Gerardo Espinoza (manager) — Used the four-period format to give minutes to virtually the entire squad. The seamless transition between the first XI (first two periods) and the bench (last two periods) suggests squad depth is building well ahead of the Apertura 2026 kick-off.

Player of the match: Luifer Hernandez — his opening goal broke the deadlock and his general play caused problems throughout his time on the pitch.

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Official match statistics were not published for this friendly, but the scoreline tells the story: Puebla won 3-1 in a game they controlled from start to finish. The 4x35-minute format — a common pre-season structure in Mexican football — meant that Puebla effectively fielded two different teams across the 140 minutes, and both units contributed to the scoreline.

The fact that Puebla's starter group scored two goals (Hernandez and own goal) and the second unit added another (Pachuca) while conceding only a late consolation speaks to a squad that is building fitness and sharpness evenly across the roster.

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This was Puebla's second pre-season friendly of the summer 2026 build-up. Their next fixture is against Pachuca on 4 July 2026, a stiffer test against a fellow Liga MX side. Tlaxcala, who compete in Mexico's second tier (Liga de Expansion MX), continue their own pre-season programme.

Puebla's Apertura 2026 campaign is expected to begin in the second half of July. A clean pre-season so far — two wins from two games — provides positive momentum for Espinoza's project at the Estadio Cuauhtemoc.

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A straightforward, professional pre-season win for Puebla. Hernandez's early goal and the own goal settled matters before the hour mark, and the rotation format gave Espinoza exactly what he wanted: minutes for everyone, a clean result, and growing understanding among new signings. Tlaxcala's late consolation was the only blemish on an otherwise controlled performance from La Franja.

Pre-season friendly — Club Alpha 3, Puebla. Format: 4 x 35-minute periods. Attendance and detailed match stats were not published.