Chivas, increasingly solid in the Apertura 2026 | OneFootball

The Apertura 2026 has represented a process of growth for Gabriel Milito’s Chivas. After 7 Jornadas, Guadalajara currently sits in second place in the Liga MX standings with 14 points, thanks to a record of 4 wins, 2 draws and just 1 loss.

However, beyond their current position, second place is the result of a series of performances that have showcased the evolution of a team that continues to find more resources to approach its matches and keep collecting points throughout the tournament.

If we go back to the beginning of the campaign, the Rebaño built its momentum from the back forward, as it opened the tournament with a 0-2 loss to Toluca at Estadio AKRON. Despite the defeat, the team quickly bounced back and earned its first win of the tournament in Jornada 2, defeating Juárez 1-0.

Then, the trip to Puebla resulted in Guadalajara’s first draw of the campaign, a 1-1 scoreline that would become a turning point in a run that has defined the tournament so far.

By Jornada 4, greater efficiency in front of goal and a more clearly defined playing identity began to emerge. As a result, Gabriel Milito’s side secured its first away victory by defeating Santos 1-0.

Then came one of the most convincing performances of the tournament so far: a 5-2 victory over Tijuana at the Fortaleza Rojiblanca.

Jornada 6 once again put Guadalajara to the test on the road. At Estadio Hidalgo, Chivas took the lead just four minutes into the match, but Pachuca managed to equalize late in the game.

Then, in Jornada 7, played this weekend, Chivas came out determined to impose its style against Atlético de San Luis in the capital of San Luis Potosí and practically took control of the match from the opening minutes. In that game, efficiency was one of the defining features of the victory: Guadalajara registered 3 shots on target and converted all 3 of them, while also completing 564 passes throughout the match.

An offense that has found its finishing touch

One of the areas in which Guadalajara has improved the most is precisely its ability to turn the opportunities it creates into goals. The Rebaño did not start the tournament with its sharpest finishing, but its most recent performances have provided increasingly encouraging and exciting signs, with a team that has found different ways to create damage.

The best example came in the last two Jornadas. The 5-2 victory over Tijuana and the 0-3 win against Atlético de San Luis confirmed that the rojiblanco attack is trending upward and that efficiency in front of goal is becoming one of its main strengths.

That evolution is already reflected in the numbers: with 12 goals scored after 7 Jornadas, Guadalajara currently has the second-best offense in the Apertura 2026.

At the other end of the pitch, the team has also found balance. Chivas ranks as the third-best defensive team in the tournament, having conceded just 6 goals. That combination explains a large part of the 14 points that currently have the Rebaño sitting in second place.

The Rebaño’s key players

There have also been several important individual contributors. Ricardo Marín and Roberto Alvarado have scored 4 goals each and currently sit third and fourth, respectively, in the Liga MX scoring charts.

Marín, in particular, is enjoying an impressive run. With 4 goals and 2 assists in just 7 Jornadas, he is the Mexican player with the most goal contributions in all of Liga MX, with 6 direct involvements in goals. Between the posts, a rojiblanco wall has also been built through the work of Raúl Rangel.

Against Atlético de San Luis, the goalkeeper made 4 saves, including one that prevented a certain goal, and recorded his third clean sheet of the tournament. Now, with 14 points, second place and half of the tournament still to play, Guadalajara will face what lies ahead with a team that has continued to find its best version as the tournament progresses.

Chivas’ numbers so far