The Chiva Nation has a special mystique at Estadio Jalisco; together we’ll fight for that Final.- Gabriel Milito | OneFootball

In the middle of a hard-fought battle, Chivas earned a draw away against Cruz Azul in the First Leg of the Clausura 2026 Semifinals at Estadio Azteca. Guadalajara deserved more due to the controversy generated during the match, but they showed the arguments that have them positioned as the top candidate to win the title.

Gabriel Milito spoke about this in the postgame press conference, highlighting one very special point: the energy that Chivahermanos will pour into Estadio Jalisco this Saturday, turning the Coloso de la Calzada Independencia into an extension of the Red-and-White Fortress.

Check out Milito’s most notable quotes from the press conference:

“We feel very comfortable at the AKRON, but I’ve also been told about the mystique the fans create at the Jalisco. It gives the players satisfaction to play there. The important thing is to keep that competitive spirit, all together, with the unconditional support of the Chivahermanos and giving everything we have.”

“I usually don’t talk about refereeing and I won’t start now because it changes absolutely nothing. It’s better to focus on analyzing the match.”

“Sandoval is a player who pleasantly surprised us from the day we met him, and every time we’ve needed him, he’s delivered. Despite his youth, he has a great mentality along with tremendous talent. These things happen to him because he has the quality to make them happen.”

“It was an even match, and the second leg will be the same. Every game we’ve played against Cruz Azul has been very competitive, where they try to neutralize us by going man-to-man and we try to do the same.”

“One of the ways to control them is by playing man-to-man. It was very intense, the players put in a huge effort, and we competed very well against a great team. We’re in the Semifinals, there are no easy opponents.”

“The series is still open. We didn’t speculate today and we won’t at home either. We’ll stay true to our ideas, because those ideas are what brought us here. Cruz Azul won’t change much either, so it will be a very similar match to today’s, an attractive one for the fans.”

“We have good players, and we’re aware of the quality of those who remained available. We fully trust them, and if you add the enormous desire to compete, the match can favor us because we are going to compete at the highest level.”

“We have to push ourselves to the limit of our abilities. I hope to recover all the players because they’ve gone through a huge physical effort. We need to rest, regain energy, and prepare to win this very demanding match.”