QUERETARO (Interstat) — Puebla scored inside the opening 10 minutes and added a second before halftime, then protected the advantage through a chippy second half to beat Queretaro 2-0 on Sunday. Kevin Velasco supplied the early breakthrough and later helped set up the second goal as the visitors controlled the key moments. Queretaro pushed more after the break and made a series of changes, but Puebla’s back line and midfield kept the home side from turning possession into a comeback. Puebla’s season record in this competition is now 4 wins, 6 losses and 4 draws, while Queretaro’s is 6 wins, 7 losses and 2 draws. Puebla’s all-competitions record is now 4 wins, 6 losses and 4 draws, and Queretaro’s all-competitions mark is 6 wins, 7 losses and 2 draws.

The most important sequence came early. Velasco put Puebla ahead in the ninth minute, converting the opening goal after the visitors pressed Queretaro into a hurried clearance. Puebla doubled the lead in the 36th minute when F. Moreno Villegas O. finished a move that Velasco helped create. Velasco’s goal and assist made him Puebla’s top performer, while Moreno Villegas O. also recorded a goal and an assist before his day ended in the 60th minute. Queretaro’s best chances came after halftime, but the home side could not find a finishing touch.

Discipline became a theme as the game moved toward its final stages. Puebla’s Villa O. received a yellow card in first-half stoppage time. Moreno I. was booked in the 65th minute, and Queretaro’s Avila A. followed in the 68th. Perez E. earned a yellow card in the 71st, Ramirez A. in the 86th and Homenchenko S. in the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time. The bookings interrupted the flow but did not change the scoreline.

Queretaro made the first adjustment at halftime, using Duarte B. as a substitution. Garcia C. and Munoz D. entered in the 57th minute. Puebla made a double change in the 60th, with Moreno Villegas O.F. and Hernandez L. coming on. Parra D. entered for Queretaro and Moreno I. for Puebla in the 69th. Benito I. came on for Queretaro in the 79th, while Organista A. and Tomas M. entered for Puebla in the same minute. The changes gave both sides fresh legs, but Puebla maintained its two-goal cushion.

Puebla entered after a 2-1 home loss to UNAM Pumas and a 4-3 loss at Atlas, part of a difficult stretch that also included a 4-1 home loss to Monterrey. Queretaro arrived following a 3-1 loss at Juarez and a 3-1 home loss to Cruz Azul (Mex), and the home side had also dropped a 2-1 decision at Atl. San Luis. Both teams were looking to stabilize their league form, but Puebla’s early goals gave the visitors the advantage they needed. Queretaro is scheduled to face Necaxa next, while Puebla is set to host Atletico SL.

Puebla’s victory came despite entering the match with a recent run that had produced more setbacks than wins. Queretaro, meanwhile, had shown enough attacking moments in recent matches to suggest it could respond, but the home side was undone by the early deficit and could not convert its second-half pressure into a goal. Puebla’s midfield stayed compact after taking the lead, and the visitors were content to absorb Queretaro’s advances while looking for chances on the counter. Velasco remained the central figure in Puebla’s attack, and his combination with Moreno Villegas O. produced the decisive goals before Queretaro’s substitutions changed the shape of the match. The clean sheet gave Puebla a result to build on and left Queretaro searching for answers after another home setback.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Queretaro 2, Puebla 1, and its ELO system had projected Queretaro with an 85.3 percent probability to win.