Guadalajara and Cruz Azul are headed into their eighth elimination-round meeting with the Clausura 2026 semifinal still even after a 2-2 first leg at the Estadio Azteca. The return match at Estadio Jalisco gives Guadalajara the home-field close it wanted, and it can reach the final with a draw because of its better position in the table.
That edge matters because this rivalry has a long memory in Liguilla. Chivas has won four of the seven elimination-round series between the clubs, and the current semifinal is their eighth meeting in knockout play. The series has moved back and forth over the years, but the numbers lean toward Guadalajara more often than not, especially when the tie reaches a decisive second leg.
There have been dramatic turns along the way. In one final series, Cruz Azul won the first leg 2-1 before Chivas answered with a 3-0 second-leg victory to take the title. In another matchup, Guadalajara produced one of its biggest wins over the capital side, taking a 3-0 leg and following it with a 5-2 result in a series that produced the largest goal difference between the teams. Cruz Azul has had its own breakthrough moments, including a Liguilla series in which goals from Juan Reynoso and Francisco Palencia sent it through.
Table position has also played a deciding role. Guadalajara once advanced over Cruz Azul in a repechaje series because it finished higher in the standings, and Chivas also eliminated a top-seeded Cruz Azul side after entering Liguilla as the 8th seed. Those outcomes are part of why the second leg at Estadio Jalisco carries more than the weight of one match; it sits inside a history where the margin has often been razor-thin and the format has rewarded the team that arrives better placed.
The most recent meeting before this semifinal also added fuel. Cruz Azul won the deciding second leg with goals from the “Toro” Fernández, Jeremy Márquez and Charly Rodríguez, while Cade Cowell and the “Hormiga” González scored for Chivas. Javier “Chicharito” Hernández then missed a penalty in the final minutes, a miss that still hangs over this matchup because it turned a tight series into a painful exit for Guadalajara. That ending is one reason the current tie feels less like a fresh start than a continuation of a rivalry that keeps finding new pressure points.
For now, Guadalajara enters the return leg with the cleaner path to the final and the comfort of closing at home. Cruz Azul, on the other hand, has already shown it can hurt Chivas in the biggest moments, and the 2-2 first leg left the semifinal open enough for one sharp sequence to decide it. The next chapter will be written at Estadio Jalisco, where the result could be settled by a winner, or by a draw that still sends Guadalajara through.
For a broader look at the matchup and broadcast details, see the semifinal preview on Where To Watch Chivas De Guadalajara Vs Cruz Azul: Semifinal preview.
