Chivas fall to Queretaro, unbeaten run ends at eight games

Eight games without a loss had fans dreaming of first place. It took just one, at the Estadio Akron, to bring Chivas back down to earth. The Rebaño fell 0-2 to Queretaro, and with that defeat went the club's best run of the tournament under Gabriel Milito.

The blow stings twice over. It wasn't just three points slipping away at home, it was the chance to fully join the fight for the overall lead that went with it. Chivas came into this match sitting in the Liguilla zone, with real hope of stretching a run that had already started to feel like something special. Queretaro, meanwhile, took the win and stayed put in the Top 4 of the standings.

What makes it striking is how this all began. The Apertura 2026 did not start well for the red and white squad: in Matchday 1 they fell at home 0-2 to Toluca, a result that suggested an uphill tournament ahead. But from there, Chivas turned things completely around.

The run started in Matchday 2, with a hard fought win over FC Juarez settled by a last minute goal from Roberto Alvarado. From there, eight straight matchdays without a defeat, including some results that got fans genuinely excited: a 5-2 thrashing at home over Xolos, a commanding 3-0 win over Pumas, and a solid road trip to San Luis to win 0-3 at the Estadio Libertad Financiera.

Milito had already shown he knows how to build these kinds of runs. Last semester, the Clausura 2026 opened with six straight wins that carried Chivas to the top of the overall table, before two consecutive losses, to Cruz Azul and Toluca, both on the road, cost them first place.

A mark that matched the Gago era

These eight games without a loss were no small thing for the red and white side: they matched Chivas' best run of the decade so far, the one put together by Fernando Gago's team in the Clausura 2024. That Chivas squad also went eight matches unbeaten between the regular phase and the Liguilla, before running into America in the second leg of the semifinals and getting eliminated.

Now comes the task of moving past the setback and looking ahead. Chivas will have no official match next week, though there will be a Clasico Nacional in between: the club will travel to Oakland to face America in a friendly to be played at the Coliseum there.

After the FIFA date comes a match with far more at stake: the Rebaño will visit Atlas in the Clasico Tapatio. It won't just be Guadalajara pride on the line, but also the overall standings, where both teams arrive nearly tied, with just one point separating Chivas from their fiercest rival.