Pumas defeated América 1–0 in the latest iteration of El Clásico Capitalino. The derby honored its tradition of being a high-intensity, fiery and heated affair between two massive Liga MX clubs that have built one of the biggest rivalries in the country.

Piero Quispe's goal in the 19th minute was enough to secure the three points for Pumas. The 23-year-old took advantage of a disastrous moment from América's defense. Cristian Calderón tried to clear the ball after two América defenders collided; however, the clearance fell right to Pumas's Guillermo Martinez, who passed it to a running Quispe.

Quispe entered the box 1-vs-1 against the goalkeeper and calmly opened his foot to tuck the ball into the far corner, out of reach from Luis Malagón.

In the second half, América tried but never truly imposed its dominance on the game in the search of an equalizer. Apart from some long distance shots, it failed to generate clear scoring chances. It was Pumas who had the biggest chance of the second half, but César Huerta couldn't bury what would've been the second goal.

Tempers flared in the final minutes as its become normal in this derby. Richard Sánchez came into the game as América crowded the pitch with attacking players, but he was sent off in the dying minutes of the game after a heavy argument with Referee Fernando Hernández.

Pumas defeated its biggest rival in consecutive league games for the first time in a decade. The team is riding a three game winning streak in Apertura 2024 putting it fifth in the standings for a direct playoff spot.

América manager, André Jardine decided to rotate his team – after the midweek victory in the Campeones Cup vs. Columbus Crew – and left important players like captain Henry Martín and Brian Rodríguez on the bench. The gamble to change formations, plus utilizing players that haven't seen consistent minutes in the league, didn't pay off for the Brazilian manager who has lost two out of three derbies this season for the first time in his tenure with the team. The reigning champion is now out of a playoff spot, sitting 11th in the standings more that halfway through Apertura 2024.

Pumas will look to keep the winning streak going when it visits second place Toluca next Saturday. América will visit 14th place León, urgently looking for a victory that can catapult it back into contention in what has been a disappointing Apertura 2024 thus far.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Piero Quispe Lifts Pumas Over Club America in El Clasico Capitalino.

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