Chivas looks to break its Torreon curse against Santos Laguna

Torreon has never been a friendly place for Chivas, and this week it will put that history to the test once again. Guadalajara visits Santos Laguna at the Estadio Corona for the latest matchday of the Apertura 2026, in a clash loaded with nerves for both sides, though for different reasons.

The Rebano is carrying an uneven start: four points through three matchdays, with a 2-0 loss to Toluca in the opener, a tight 1-0 win over FC Juarez and a 1-1 draw against Puebla. Nothing catastrophic, but not the start Gabriel Milito's project needed to quiet the doubts either. And now, right after the break for Leagues Cup, Chivas has to get reacquainted with Liga MX on what is probably its most uncomfortable ground in recent years.

Because it has to be said: Chivas struggles in Torreon, and struggles a lot. Since 2016, the Guadalajara side has visited the Territorio Santos Modelo on nine occasions, and the record weighs heavy: five losses, three draws and just one win. That lone victory came a long time ago, back when Fernando Gago was in charge of the Chivas bench. Every visit since then has been an uphill battle.

The most recent trip does nothing to ease the nerves either. In the Apertura 2025, Santos took the full three points with a 1-0 win in the Comarca Lagunera, in a match defined by a penalty missed by Alan Pulido that could have completely changed the script. That miss ended up being decisive in handing the Guerreros the win.

Santos riding the Leagues Cup momentum

On the other side, Santos Laguna arrives in a different mood than it had just a few weeks ago. The Guerreros picked up their first win of the season by beating Philadelphia Union in Leagues Cup, a result that has restored some confidence even though the picture in Liga MX remains a different story entirely: in the domestic tournament, they still haven't tasted victory.

And that, deep down, is the key to this match. Santos needs that emotional boost to finally translate into Apertura 2026 points, while Chivas cannot afford another stumble if it wants to stay close to the top of the table. For the Rebano, winning in Torreon would not only mean three points, it would prove the team can finally break a trend that has haunted it on that field for nearly a decade.

The match, then, carries two crossed storylines: a Santos side looking for its turning point in the domestic championship while leaning on home advantage, and a Chivas side that needs a win to avoid falling behind just as the schedule starts to tighten. Recent history favors the home side, but soccer, as always, will have the final word.