Carlos Gonzalez scores hat-trick as Pumas and Tigres thriller ends in 3-3 draw

Pumas UNAM and Tigres UANL shared the spoils of a six-goal thriller at the Estadio Olimpico Universitario.

Carlos Gonzalez powered Pumas into the lead after just seven minutes when a rebounded effort inside the box fell for the Paraguayan to smash into the back of the net.

In the 23rd minute, Eduardo Vargas took it upon himself to get his team back into this game, unleashing a fierce long distance shot past Alfredo Saldivar to level the score.

The Regiomontanos continued to pour forward, and moments later youngster Rafael Duran found himself on the end of a Javier Aquino cross to give Tigres the lead.

The momentum was now heavily against Pumas, but the Mexico City outfit found an avenue back into the game just before the break.

Pablo Barrera crossed for Gonzalez, who without thinking twice volleyed the ball past Nahuel Guzman for the 2-2.

Pumas might have claimed the late first half equalizer, but the hosts were second best to start the second period. Two minutes into the second half Andre-Pierre Gignac put the score at 3-2. The Frenchman struck the ball sweetly following a great play on the left-hand side from Javier Aquino.

But just as Tigres were gathering control of the proceedings, Carlos Gonzalez would find the back of the net for the third time in the game. The Paraguayan would notch his first career hat-trick in Mexico after beating Hugo Ayala to a cross and scoring off a nice header.

In the 79th minute, Pumas spurned their best chance to win the game. After a series of mistakes from the Tigres defense, substitute Matias Alustiza found himself with just the goalkeeper to beat, but Nahuel Guzman performed a brilliant save to deny the home-side the win.