How did Chivas manage to thrash Puebla? | OneFootball

Once again, Guadalajara made the Estadio Akron count, delivering a solid and emphatic performance with a 5–0 victory over Puebla on Matchday 15 of the Clausura 2026. The result keeps them at the top of the standings with 34 points and as the tournament’s best attacking side with 33 goals.

The match didn’t start easily, as Puebla caused problems early on with direct play and second balls. However, Chivas adjusted, began winning aerial duels, weathered that stretch, and from there took control of the game. A moment of brilliance between Efraín Álvarez and “Cotorro” González opened the scoring and completely shifted the momentum.

From that point on, Chivas imposed their style with a balanced approach: play through the middle with a brilliant Álvarez as the focal point, and width on the wings provided by Roberto Alvarado and González himself. The two-striker setup was also key, with Armando González attacking space in behind and Ricardo Marín linking play between the lines. Marín himself scored the second goal with a header from a Brian Gutiérrez cross, who later also got on the scoresheet.

Bryan González capped off a great night with a brace, also standing out for his versatility by playing as a deep-lying center-back on the left side. With the match under control, Chivas lowered the tempo to avoid risks, but the substitutions brought intensity back toward the end.

The introductions of Jonathan Pérez, Yael Padilla, Santiago Sandoval, Hugo Camberos, and Rubén González refreshed the team. In fact, Pérez—making his Liga MX debut for Chivas—sparked the fifth goal after winning the ball high up the pitch, which led to Camberos’ finish.

In conclusion, the most valuable takeaway from the night was Chivas’ ability to adapt on the fly: they withstood a difficult start, adjusted to Puebla’s direct approach, and responded with personality. The team won individual duels and rebuilt their solidity from there. From that foundation, they found attacking fluidity with variations such as the two-striker system and multiple attacking routes, reflecting a well-developed game model under Gabriel Milito—one in which, beyond individual names, the collective performance remains consistent both with starters and those coming off the bench.