Club América vs Atlético de San Luis preview: Las Águilas return home looking like title contenders | OneFootball

Liga MX is back, Hooligans. After a week and a half of Leagues Cup chaos, penalty shootouts, and enough drama to fuel an entire telenovela season, Club América returns home with a chance to remind everyone why Guillermo Almada has turned Las Águilas into one of Mexico’s hottest teams.

América welcomes Atlético de San Luis to Estadio Azteca on Sunday for Matchday 4, and on paper, this looks like one of those games where one team arrives riding confidence while the other shows up carrying a backpack full of unanswered questions.

Guillermo Almada has completely changed the mood

It’s almost unfair how quickly Almada has transformed América.

A few weeks ago, people were debating whether the club had done enough in the transfer market. Now Las Águilas sit atop the Apertura 2026 standings with seven points and have already secured a place in the Leagues Cup quarterfinals.

Turns out winning games is an excellent public relations strategy.

More importantly, América looks different. They’re pressing with intensity, creating chances consistently, and playing with an edge that had been missing for stretches before Almada arrived.

The honeymoon phase couldn’t be going much better.

Atlético de San Luis arrives looking for an upset

Meanwhile, Atlético de San Luis has had about as much fun as someone trying to assemble IKEA furniture without the instructions.

Diego Mejía’s team has collected just two points from its first three league matches and enters the weekend near the bottom of the table.

They’re very much the underdog heading into Mexico City.

Of course, this is Liga MX, where logic occasionally takes the afternoon off. The obvious result can disappear faster than a referee’s consistency, and San Luis would love nothing more than becoming the team that crashes América’s feel-good party.

New signings ready for their Liga MX debut

One of Sunday’s biggest storylines will be the expected league debuts of América’s newest additions.

Óscar Perea and Edwin Cerrillo are both in line to make their first Liga MX appearances after already seeing action in the Leagues Cup.

Perea has wasted no time introducing himself to América fans, scoring against the Portland Timbers and immediately earning goodwill that many new signings spend months trying to collect.

Cerrillo, who arrived from LA Galaxy, gives Almada another option in midfield as América continues building depth for a season packed with competitions.

Henry Martín is fine. Everyone can relax.

América supporters briefly entered panic mode after Henry Martín sat out the match against Austin FC. The game ended 1-1 before América lost the penalty shootout, but the bigger conversation centered around the captain’s absence.

Thankfully for anyone who had already started writing conspiracy theories, Almada explained that Martín simply needed rest. Sometimes a day off really is just a day off.

He should be back against San Luis.

Injury report

América’s unavailable list remains relatively manageable.

Alejandro Zendejas continues recovering from a knee procedure following his participation in the World Cup, while Luis Ángel Malagón is still working his way back from an Achilles tendon rupture.

Beyond those two, Almada has nearly his entire squad available—a luxury coaches rarely get to enjoy for very long.

Transfer rumors refuse to leave América alone

Because this is Club América, even a perfectly normal weekend somehow comes with multiple transfer soap operas attached.

The latest chapter involves Brazilian striker Carlos Vinícius. Reports indicate América offered around $6 million for the Grêmio forward, only for the player himself to reject the move.

Apparently, América’s response has been the classic negotiation tactic of saying, “What if… more money?” A new offer worth roughly $7 million is reportedly being prepared, although completing the deal still appears difficult.

Meanwhile, negotiations for Rosario Central winger Jaminton Campaz have cooled considerably, making the Colombian international an increasingly unlikely arrival.

Brian Rodríguez stays—for now

One player who will remain in the squad is Brian Rodríguez. Cruzeiro failed to reach an agreement with América on a transfer reportedly worth around $12 million.

The Liga MX transfer window remains open until Sept. 11, meaning the club’s front office still has time to chase additional reinforcements. Whether they actually land one is another story entirely.

What to expect

Everything points toward América entering as the favorite.

They’re in better form, they’re playing at home, and Almada has quickly built a team that looks capable of competing for every trophy available.

San Luis certainly has the opportunity to spring an upset, but they’ll need a near-perfect performance against a side that’s currently playing with confidence and momentum.

For América, this game is about more than three points.

It’s an opportunity to prove that this fast start isn’t just a temporary spark—that under Guillermo Almada, Las Águilas aren’t simply flying high.

They’re trying to convince everyone they’re ready to stay there.

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