MAZATLAN, Mexico (Interstat) — Guadalajara delivered a commanding performance on the road Wednesday afternoon, defeating Mazatlan 2-0 in a Liga MX Week 7 match at Estadio de Mazatlán that defied both statistical projections and a chaotic sequence of late-game events.

The visitors secured their first victory of the domestic campaign, improving their Liga MX record to one win and no losses. Mazatlan, meanwhile, opened its season with a defeat, falling to zero wins and one loss.

The match’s narrative turned bizarrely in the final half-hour, overshadowing what had been a tense, physical contest defined by seven yellow cards. Against the run of play, Mazatlan’s Alfonso Sánchez appeared to break the deadlock in the 69th minute, sending the home crowd into a frenzy. That advantage was shockingly erased nine minutes later when Guadalajara’s hometown attacker, Ángel Zaldívar, equalized in the 78th minute.

The drama intensified just minutes later. In the 87th minute, Mazatlan defender Oswaldo Alanís seemingly headed his team back into the lead. However, a subsequent video review determined both Mazatlan goals were scored from offside positions, resulting in their disallowance. The decisions transformed the scoreline from a potential 2-1 Mazatlan lead back to a 1-0 Guadalajara advantage, now credited as an own goal against Alanís.

The own goal, officially recorded in the 87th minute, compounded a difficult afternoon for Alanís, who had received a yellow card in the first minute of the match. Sánchez, Mazatlan’s other disallowed scorer, was also booked in the 55th minute.

Guadalajara’s insurance goal came from Zaldívar in the 78th minute, a legitimate strike that ultimately stood as the game-winner. The 5-foot-8 forward provided the decisive touch in a match where clear chances were at a premium.

The result contradicted pregame analytics. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a 1-1 draw, while its ELO rating system gave Guadalajara a 56.3 percent probability of victory. The final 2-0 scoreline in Guadalajara’s favor, built on a solid defensive display and capitalized on by critical video assistant referee interventions, proved those forecasts incomplete.

The match was marred by frequent stoppages, with referee discipline a constant theme. Guadalajara’s Luis Olivas was booked in the 17th minute and Fernando González saw yellow in the 29th. Mazatlan’s Néstor Vidrio received a caution in the 21st minute, followed by Carlos Vargas in the 83rd. Guadalajara’s Jesús Orozco was booked in the 85th minute as the match grew increasingly fractious following the disallowed goals.

Guadalajara’s defense held firm under pressure, particularly during the tumultuous final stages, to secure the clean sheet and all three points on the road. The team’s overall record across all competitions now stands at one win and no losses. Mazatlan, left to rue the fine margins of the offside rule, begins its season with zero wins and one loss in all competitions.