Cruz Azul Vs Guadalajara ends 2-1 as La Máquina breaks Chivas’ unbeaten run
In a match that ended the leader’s perfect start, cruz azul vs guadalajara finished 2-1 in Los Angeles, with Cruz Azul handing Chivas its first defeat after a night of intense play and two headed goals.
Cruz Azul Vs Guadalajara: match decided by two headers
Cruz Azul’s victory came on two headed finishes: the opener from ‘El Toro’ Fernández in the first half and a late, unexpected header by Charly Rodríguez in the 85th minute. Agustín Palavecino provided the assist on both the 1-0 and the 2-1 strikes, while Chivas’ brief equalizer came from a bench sequence in which Brian Gutiérrez fed Ricardo Marín and the cross found Miguel ‘El Cuate’ Sepúlveda’s header to make it 1-1.
Physical game, tactical shifts and seven first-half cards
The night in Los Angeles stretched to nearly 100 minutes of action punctuated by shoves and small scuffles but no major incidents; referee Maximiliano Quintero issued seven yellow cards in the first half. Chivas moved from a five-man to a four-man back line at halftime; Hugo Camberos replaced José Castillo and Brian Gutiérrez came on for Efrain Álvarez as part of those changes. Nicolás Larcamón reorganized his side to meet the threats posed by Gabriel Milito.
Key performers and moments
‘El Toro’ Fernández’s first-half strike marked his sixth goal against Chivas, a concrete personal edge in the rivalry. Charly Rodríguez’s 85th-minute header sealed the win after Palavecino’s second precise cross of the match. Cruz Azul defender Willer Ditta was singled out for an outstanding night in defense, and the context contains an incomplete line about another contributor that is unclear in the provided context.
What the coaches and commentators noted
Desirée Monsiváis, speaking on Futbol Picante, highlighted the 2-1 victory and noted that Chivas still lacks finishing. Observers also pointed to Diego Campillo’s comparison of how different attackers affected Chivas’ defense: the team could freeze a late-career striker like Henry Martín but struggled with Fernández’s ongoing power and physicality, which Campillo highlighted as decisive rather than a failure by the individual defenders.
Standings, recent form and historical notes
A pre-match preview listed the fixture for Saturday 21 February at Estadio Cuauhtémoc as part of Jornada 7 of the Clausura 2026. That preview noted Cruz Azul sat second with 13 points and four wins, while Chivas led the table with 18 points and a perfect record before this defeat. Cruz Azul arrived on confidence from a prior victory over Tigres, and Chivas had reached the match after a Clásico Nacional win over América. Historically, Cruz Azul had won the previous four Liga MX meetings against Guadalajara at home, two of those as shutouts; Guadalajara’s last win on that visit came in the Clausura 2022 when Cristian 'Chicote' Calderón scored. The preview content was generated with artificial intelligence and supervised by TUDN.
The match featured concrete tactical and personnel shifts, late finishing from a set of well-placed crosses, and a referee who curbed an early flare-up with seven cards in the opening 45 minutes. The next confirmed schedule item in the provided context is the pre-match listing for Saturday 21 February at Estadio Cuauhtémoc in Jornada 7 of Clausura 2026.
