Chivas draw with Cruz Azul in first leg, eye CL26 final at Jalisco | OneFootball

Mexico City.- Chivas showed character at the Estadio Azteca, as they tried to impose their style and ultimately earned a 2-2 draw against Cruz Azul in the first leg of the Clausura 2026 Semifinals. Now, Guadalajara will look to finish the job and book a place in the Final next Saturday at the Estadio Jalisco, where, backed by their fans, they will try to make home-field advantage count, bearing in mind that any draw on aggregate will send them through to the next round.

El Rebaño found openings early in the match through long balls and pressure after losing possession, which allowed them to win back several balls in the opposition half and create danger in front of Cruz Azul’s goal. That persistence paid off when Santiago Sandoval appeared to open the scoring and net his third goal of the current Liguilla, sparking cheers from the rojiblanco fans at the Azteca.

However, Cruz Azul’s response did not take long, and minutes later they managed to level the match. From that point on, the game entered a phase of shared control, with both teams alternating possession and attacking moves. Both Guadalajara and La Máquina had important moments going forward, although neither managed to reflect it on the scoreboard again before halftime, so the first half ended 1-1.

The start of the second half brought an important adjustment from Gabriel Milito, who completely changed the team’s structure with the introduction of Miguel Gómez and the withdrawal of Efraín Álvarez. The change had a particular impact on Guadalajara’s defensive behavior and their work off the ball. In fact, Gómez himself wasted little time making his presence felt on the pitch, as he delivered a precise cross that Ángel Sepúlveda converted with an accurate header to restore El Rebaño’s lead.

Nevertheless, Cruz Azul responded quickly once again and found the equalizer after a controversial penalty that Osinachi Ebere, who had stamped on Diego Campillo in the first half, converted from the spot. After that play, the pace of the match gradually began to drop, with both teams managing their energy and showing the natural wear and tear of a highly demanding series. With the score level and knowing that the next chapter will be played on Saturday, the closing stages of the match were less intense.

The goals:

0-1: Santiago Sandoval scored the opener in the 29th minute, reacting well to the second ball and putting away a rebound left by Kevin Mier.

1-1: Carlos Rodríguez leveled the score in the 37th minute with a great finish from the right side that beat the Chivas goalkeeper.

1-2: Ángel Sepúlveda restored El Rebaño’s lead just as the second half was beginning, as in the 50th minute he powered home a great header following an excellent delivery from Miguel Gomez from the left flank.

2-2: With a controversial penalty, Osinachi Ebere made it the final score in the 56th minute.

Cruz Azul 2-2 Chivas(Carlos Rodríguez 37’, Osinachi Ebere 56’)(Santiago Sandoval 29’, Ángel Sepúlveda 50’)Referee: Maximiliano Quintero HernándezEstadio Azteca

Lineups Cruz Azul: Kevin Mier, Omar Campos, Willer Ditta, Amaury García, Gonzalo Piovi, Rodolfo Rotondi, Jeremy Márquez, Carlos Rodríguez, Agustín Palavecino, José Paradela, Osinachi Ebere.Head coach: Joel Huiqui

Chivas: Óscar Whalley, Richard Ledezma, José Castillo, Diego Campillo, Bryan González, Rubén González, Omar Govea, Efraín Álvarez (Miguel Gómez 46’), Santiago Sandoval, Ángel Sepúlveda, Ricardo Marín.Head coach: Gabriel Milito

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.