The two best teams of the Liga MX Clausura 2026 season so far meet on Saturday night, as second-placed Cruz Azul host league leaders Chivas in a game that promises to be one of the best of the regular season.
Although it’s not necessarily considered a rivalry, Cruz Azul and Chivas are two of Liga MX’s “Big Four.” The pair are two of the biggest, most popular clubs in the country, boasting a fanbase of millions, as well as packed trophy cabinets.
Cruz Azul enter the clash looking to get within striking distance of the top of the standings. Nicolás Larcamón’s side are starting to gel after a slow start of the year, and are fresh off avenging their recent semifinal defeat with a 2–1 win against Tigres at the weekend.
Meanwhile, Gabriel Milito’s Chivas have been the undisputed best team in Liga MX since the turn of the year. Los Rojiblancos are perfect through six games of the Clausura 2026 and are on a high after deservedly dispatching bitter rivals Club América 1–0 in Saturday’s Clásico Nacional.
Cruz Azul represents by far the most difficult test Chivas have faced this season, and La Máquina will be eager to maintain their recent dominance in the matchup after eliminating Milito’s side in last season’s quarterfinals.
Here’s Sports Illustrated’s guide to Cruz Azul vs. Chivas, the game of the weekend in Liga MX.
What Time Does Cruz Azul vs. Chivas Kick-Off?
- Location: Puebla, Mexico
- Stadium: Estadio Cuauhtémoc
- Date: Saturday, Feb. 21
- Kick-off Time: 10:00 p.m. ET / 7:00 p.m. PT
Cruz Azul vs. Chivas Head-to-Head Record (Last Five Games)
- Cruz Azul: 4 wins
- Chivas: 0 wins
- Draws: 1
- Last meeting: Cruz Azul 3–2 Chivas (Nov. 30, 2025)—Liga MX Apertura 2025 quarterfinal
Current Form (All Competitions, Last Five Games)
| Cruz Azul (WWDWW) | Chivas (WWWWW) |
|---|---|
| Cruz Azul 2–1 Tigres | Chivas 1–0 Club América |
| Cruz Azul 5–0 Vancouver FC | Mazatlán 1–2 Chivas |
| Toluca 1–1 Cruz Azul | Atlético San Luis 2–3 Chivas |
| Vancouver FC 0–3 Cruz Azul | Chivas 2–1 Querétaro |
| FC Juárez 3–4 Cruz Azul | FC Juárez 0–1 Chivas |
How to Watch Cruz Azul vs. Chivas on TV
| Country | TV Channel / Live Stream |
|---|---|
| United States | Paramount+, TUDN USA, Univision, ViX |
| Mexico | Canal 5, TUDN, ViX |
Cruz Azul Team News
Cruz Azul’s depth came under serious scrutiny as the reason why many didn’t believe them to be serious title contenders. However, with a couple of additions late in the transfer market, La Máquina look as good as anyone in the league.
The arrival of striker Nico Ibáñez is of paramount importance, especially given the injury to starting center forward Gabriel Fernández. Ibáñez has scored in his first two games for Cruz Azul, including the winner against former club Tigres.
But Cruz Azul’s strength is found in their prodigius quartet of midfielders. Jeremy Márquez, Carlos Rodríguez, Agustín Palavecino and Jose Paradela are granted the freedom to interchange sides and heights in midfield and all have the technical quality to pick apart defenses, even that of the league leaders.
At the back, Willer Ditta, Erik Lira and Gonzalo Piovi will keep their place in the lineup, while Andrés Gudiño remains between the sticks deputizing for the injured Colombia international Kevin Mier.
Cruz Azul Predicted Lineup vs. Cruz Azul (3-4-2-1)
Cruz Azul predicted lineup vs. Chivas (3-4-2-1): Gudiño; Ditta, Lira, Piovi; Campos, Márquez, Rodríguez, Rotondi; Palavecino, Paradela; Ibáñez
Chivas Team News
Chivas are playing like a well-oiled machine. With Milito’s system fully integrated, every single player on the team has upped their level. Both starters and backups, all players have bought in and are ready to step-up if need be.
The most recent example is Diego Campillo. The center back hadn’t started a game this season but, with Luis Romo out injured, he started and dominated against Club América in El Clásico Nacional, earning man of the match honors. He’ll repeat in the lineup with Romo still on the mend.
Armando González continues his fairytale ascent and the duo of Efraín Álvarez and Roberto Alvarado behind him continues to be unplayable at times as dual No. 10s.
Mexican-American Richard Ledezma left the game vs América with an apparent injury, but Milito has since confirmed he’ll be ready for the visit to Cruz Azul. Elsewhere, fellow dual-national Bryan Gutiérrez could return to the lineup replacing Fernando González.
Ángel Sepúlveda won the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup title and Golden Boot with Cruz Azul a season ago, but any chance of making an impact against his former club will have to be from the bench.
Chivas Predicted Lineup vs. Cruz Azul (3-4-2-1)
Chivas predicted lineup vs. Cruz Azul (3-4-2-1): Rangel; Aguirre, Campillo, Castillo; Ledezma, Gutiérrez, Govea, González; Alvarado, Álvarez; González
Score Prediction
Cruz Azul have been the biggest thorn in Chivas’s side during Milito’s short tenure. In the three games they’ve played over the last six months, Chivas have been overall better, yet Cruz Azul are undefeated in the contests.
Still, Chivas have continued to improve since their quarterfinal elimination, and are confident following the win against América. However, their record away against Cruz Azul is a worrying precedent, with just one win since the turn of the decade.
Larcamón’s side boast superior individual quality and since they utilize a very similar system to Chivas, they understand how best to contain their biggest attacking threats better than any other team in the league.
Individual moments of brilliance could easily determine the winner on Saturday, and with Cruz Azul growing even stronger at home, they will spoil Chivas’ perfect record and close the gap atop the standings.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Cruz Azul vs. Chivas—Liga MX Game of the Week: Preview, Predictions and Lineups.
