CD Chivas de Guadalajara

vs

Santos Laguna Mexico

Preview

Chivas de Guadalajara

• The Clausura’s surprise leaders, Chivas de Guadalajara, are a 1.2 favourite to beat their visitors, Santos Laguna Mexico, on Saturday and the home team should be able to control the rhythm and possess the ball for large periods as Gabriel Milito’s men have done all season.
• Chivas now dictate the tempo of matches, press with control and incorporate the young, technically gifted players in a 3-4-3 or 4-3-3 structure.
• Their first defeat in 2026 came at the hands of Cruz Azul in their most recent league match but they entered March on a run of six consecutive Clausura wins that had put them into the top spots of the table.
• Gilberto Sepúlveda has been the heart of the side, providing calmness in the centre of the Chivas defence and the solid platform from which they have built some high-scoring games.
• The return to the club of Alan Pulido has added some real veteran finishing and penalty expertise to their frontline, which now features the creative spark of Alexis Vega.

Santos Laguna

• Santos Laguna will be desperate for three points to escape the cellar but, after taking very few points from nine matches, an upset is highly unlikely in this fixture.
• Omar Tapia, the interim manager, has had little time to put his mark on a squad that is struggling for results and tactical identity in the early stages of the Clausura.
• They are a wide team, with a quick, vertical style and like to overload the wings with young, creative players.
• But they have been too open and allowed opposition teams to pick them off for cheap goals as they’ve slipped further down the table.

Head-to-Head

• Chivas have won the majority of their last 10 competitive meetings against Santos Laguna in all competitions.
• Santos did beat Chivas 1-0 in Torreón in August 2025.

Key Players

• Gilberto Sepúlveda - the centre-back has been the calm anchor for Chivas and a key part of their defensive stability.
• Alan Pulido - his return adds veteran finishing and penalty know-how to an attack that also features Alexis Vega.
• Santiago Muñoz - Santos’ main goal threat who can test the Chivas keeper when given good positions.

Betting Insights

• The visitors are heavy underdogs, with Chivas 1.2 to win, reflecting Chivas’ surprising Clausura form.
• Consider the 1.79 both teams to score market as a value angle given Santos’ ability to create chances despite defensive issues.

Prediction