Chivas Vs Cruz Azul: Cruz Azul Ends Chivas’ Unbeaten Run With 2-1 Win
The chivas vs cruz azul clash finished 2-1 as Cruz Azul halted Chivas’ perfect start to the Clausura. The result matters now because it reshuffles momentum at the top of the table and arrived after a match of unusually high intensity and tactical swings.
Chivas Vs Cruz Azul: Date, Venue and Pre-match Context
The fixture was listed for Saturday, 21 February, as part of Jornada 7 of the Liga MX Clausura 2026 and was scheduled for the Estadio Cuauhtémoc. Pre-match standings showed Chivas atop the table with 18 points and a perfect record to that date, while Cruz Azul sat second with 13 points from four victories, a five-point difference entering the meeting. Cruz Azul arrived to the game buoyed by a recent victory over Tigres; Chivas came off a Clásico Nacional win over América. The pre-match schedule content noted it had been generated with artificial intelligence and supervised by TUDN’s team.
Match Outcome in Los Angeles and the 2-1 Scoreline
The evening unfolded as a high-stakes, nearly 100-minute spectacle described from Los Angeles, where Cruz Azul produced what was called the best version of the team in the tournament to take a 2-1 victory and strip Chivas of their invicto. The decisive margin was two headed goals conceded by Chivas — a striking fact given that the team had not allowed headed goals earlier in the competition.
'El Toro' Fernández, Agustín Palavecino and the Goal Timeline
Cruz Azul’s opening score arrived in the first half from ‘El Toro’ Fernández; the goal marked his sixth against Chivas. Agustín Palavecino provided the assist on that opener and later delivered the cross that set up Charly Rodríguez’s 85th-minute header, the goal that sealed the win. Charly Rodríguez’s strike made the difference late, after Chivas briefly equalized earlier in the match.
Chivas Response: Brian Gutiérrez, Ricardo Marín and 'El Cuate' Sepúlveda
The temporary 1-1 came from a bench combination. Brian Gutiérrez linked with Ricardo Marín to supply a cross that found the headed finish from 'El Cuate' Sepúlveda. That sequence underlined Chivas’ capacity to respond but ultimately proved insufficient against Cruz Azul’s physicality and finishing in the final quarter-hour.
Discipline and Momentum: Maximiliano Quintero and Tactical Changes
The match began hotly, with small scuffles and heavy contact that required active refereeing; referee Maximiliano Quintero issued seven yellow cards in the first half alone while keeping the confrontations from escalating into more serious incidents. The 1-0 scoreline at halftime prompted Chivas to shift from a five-man back line to a four-man block for the second half, with Hugo Camberos replacing José Castillo and Brian Gutiérrez coming on for Efrain Álvarez. Nicolás Larcamón reorganized his own side to respond to threats associated with Gabriel Milito’s approach.
Individual Performances and Tactical Effects
Willer Ditta was singled out for an outstanding performance for Cruz Azul. Hugo Camberos appeared to recover form, contributing defensive consistency and dynamism after coming on, while Brian Gutiérrez’s vertical play was noted as a persistent problem for Cruz Azul’s defense and an attribute that had attracted Javier Aguirre’s attention. Diego Campillo highlighted the difference between containing certain attackers and suffering against the physical potency of Fernández — a contrast that helps explain how Cruz Azul created decisive chances.
What makes this notable is how a combination of aerial finishing and late-game precision — two headed goals and a decisive strike at minute 85 — overturned Chivas’ previously flawless campaign and underscored Cruz Azul’s rise into contention.
Additional context: Cruz Azul had recorded four consecutive home wins over Chivas in Liga MX prior to this meeting and had kept Chivas scoreless in two of those matches. Guadalajara’s last victory at the celestes was dated to Clausura 2022, when Cristian 'Chicote' Calderón scored. Finally, the match report available in the provided material ends abruptly while noting another outstanding Cruz Azul performer; that detail is unclear in the provided context.
