Santos Laguna Defeats Necaxa 1-0 and Reenters Liguilla Zone
An own goal by Matías Espíndola lifted Santos Laguna into eighth place during the 15th round of the Apertura 2026 tournament.
Santos Laguna secured a crucial 1-0 victory against Necaxa on Sunday at the Corona Stadium, moving back into the playoff qualification zone during the 15th round of the Liga MX Apertura 2026 tournament. Managed by Portuguese coach Renato Paiva, the Warriors reached 22 points to claim the eighth position in the standings.
The match began with a competitive pace as both squads searched for early control. Necaxa missed a clear opportunity in the 18th minute when forward Juan Valencia found himself alone in front of goalkeeper Carlos Acevedo, only to strike the left goalpost and fail to convert the rebound.
Before the end of the first half, the referee initially awarded a penalty against Santos following a collision inside the area between Mauricio Cuevas and Valencia. However, a video assistant referee review determined the contact was merely a minor clash of heads, overturning the penalty decision and leaving the score scoreless at halftime.
The second half saw increased pressure from the local side as they adjusted their tactical approach. In the 61st minute, Ezequiel Bullaude fired a shot toward the net that was blocked by Necaxa goalkeeper Javi Orantes, keeping the game deadlocked temporarily.
The decisive moment occurred in the 72nd minute when Mauricio Cuevas advanced down the right wing and sent a cross into the penalty area. The ball deflected off Matías Espíndola into his own net, resulting in the own goal that broke the tie and gave Santos the lead.
With this result, Santos bounced back from a prior loss and secured their seventh victory of the tournament, leaving them in eighth place just ahead of Monterrey. Meanwhile, Necaxa remained in the 17th spot with 10 points, extending a winless streak and remaining mathematically eliminated from postseason contention alongside Tigres, Atlante, and Juárez.
Looking ahead to the final stretch of the regular season, Santos Laguna will face Atlante and León in their remaining fixtures as they fight to secure their spot in the final phase of the tournament.
Sources
- ¡A puestos de Liguilla! Santos Laguna DERROTA a Necaxa y aprieta el cierre del Apertura 2026 foxsports.com.mx
- Alineaciones de Santos Laguna y Necaxa por la Liga MX: formaciones confirmadas bolavip.com
- Santos se impone 1-0 a Necaxa y asegura su lugar en la Liguilla. elcongresista.mx
- Santos vence 1-0 a Necaxa y regresa a la zona de Liguilla eltiempomx.com
- Santos vence al Necaxa y sueña con entrar a la fase final del Apertura mexicano unitel.bo