Apertura 2026 matchday 15: América, Guadalajara and Cruz Azul level at the top on 29 points

Matchday 15 left three teams level at the top on 29 points. The leaders, América, rescued a 2–2 draw with Toluca through a Henry Martín penalty on 90+2, and Guadalajara, who beat Atlante 4–2, and Cruz Azul, who beat León 2–1, drew level with them; América stay first on goal difference. Pachuca thrashed Tigres 3–0 with two goals from Salomón Rondón, who now has 15 in the tournament. There were 31 goals in nine matches: five home wins, two away wins and two draws, three players sent off and six penalties, five of them converted.

Friday

Atlético de San Luis 0–1 Atlas was settled by Florián Monzón on 63, from Milton Valenzuela's pass. Atlético de San Luis had 56 per cent of the ball and 22 shots, but only four on target, and the Atlas goalkeeper made four saves. Atlas, fourth, are two points off the top.

Juárez 3–1 Querétaro gave Juárez their second win of the tournament. Oscar Estupiñan opened the scoring on 17, Madson doubled the lead on 39 from Denzell García's pass and José Luis Rodríguez made it 3–0 on 83. Ali Ávila pulled one back for Querétaro on 89 from a pass by Mateo Coronel, who had had a penalty overturned by VAR on 11. Querétaro had 27 shots and have lost four in a row.

Puebla 1–2 Pumas was decided on 90. Juninho (Olávio Vieira) put Pumas ahead on 10 from Rodrigo López's pass and Omar Moreno equalised for Puebla on 23 from Luis Hernández's; Álvaro Angulo scored the winner in the final minute. VAR overturned a red card for Adalberto Carrasquilla on 59. Puebla had six shots on target and Pumas five.

Saturday

Pachuca 3–0 Tigres belonged to Rondón, who scored on 42 and on 53, the second from Oussama Idrissi's pass, and reached 15 goals in the tournament. Kenedy (Robert Nunes) completed the rout on 69, also from Idrissi's pass. Alan Franco was sent off on 80 after a VAR review; El Universal describes it as rough play. Pachuca had 61 per cent of the ball and seven shots on target to Tigres's two, and have won two in a row. With 15 points and two matchdays to play, Tigres can no longer catch Santos Laguna, eighth on 22.

Monterrey 3–3 Tijuana produced six goals. Jackson Porozo put Tijuana ahead on 5 from Francisco González's pass, and Hugo Cuypers turned it round for Monterrey with a penalty on 19, confirmed by VAR, and a goal on 45 from Ricardo Chávez's pass. Adonis Preciado equalised on 45+4 from Rafael Fernández's pass; Lucas Ocampos made it 3–2 on 57 from Óliver Torres's pass and Preciado levelled at 3–3 on 60 from José Rivero's. Monterrey had 70 per cent of the ball and seven shots on target to Tijuana's three.

Guadalajara 4–2 Atlante began with a Santiago Sandoval goal on 9, from Luis Romo's pass. A Diogo Bagüí own goal made it 2–0 on 36 and Sandoval scored again on 53, from Efraín Álvarez's pass. Martín Sarrafiore pulled one back on 60, Álvarez made it 4–1 on 64 from Omar Govea's pass and Jhojan Julio scored a penalty on 83. Fox Sports México points out that Guadalajara have now won three in a row.

América 2–2 Toluca was the match of the matchday. Federico Viñas put Toluca ahead on 42 from Helinho's pass, and Henry Martín equalised on 62. América's Santiago Bueno was sent off on 85 after a VAR review, and on 87 Alexis Vega missed a penalty: according to El Universal, Luis Ángel Malagón saved it and Vega scored from the rebound. In stoppage time Toluca's Andrés Pereira was sent off on 90+1, and Martín equalised from the spot on 90+2; El Universal reports that Pereira had held Miguel Borja at a corner. Martín now has 10 goals in the tournament. The same paper notes that América have gone six matches without a win at the Estadio Banorte. Toluca, who have drawn their last four matches, have gone seven without a win.

Sunday

Santos Laguna 1–0 Necaxa was decided by a Matías Espíndola own goal on 72. Necaxa had 62 per cent of the ball and 21 shots, eight of them on target, and the Santos Laguna goalkeeper made eight saves; VAR ruled out a penalty for Necaxa on 45. Santos move up to eighth. Necaxa have not won since matchday 2.

Cruz Azul 2–1 León closed the matchday. Andrés Montaño scored a penalty on 56; La Razón reports that the referee awarded it after checking a foul on Charly Rodríguez on the VAR monitor. José Paradela made it 2–0 on 72 from Nicolás Ibáñez's pass, with a volley that, according to the same paper, took a deflection off a defender. José Alvarado pulled one back from the spot on 90+10, also after a VAR review. Cruz Azul have won four in a row.

The table after matchday 15

Monterrey and Querétaro have played 14 matches: they meet on 14 November in Querétaro. The rest have played 15. The top eight after matchday 17 go straight to the Liguilla, and there is no relegation this season.

1. América, 29 points (15 played, +15)
2. Guadalajara, 29 (15, +11)
3. Cruz Azul, 29 (15, +10)
4. Atlas, 27 (15, 0)
5. Toluca, 24 (15, +10)
6. Tijuana, 22 (15, +4)
7. León, 22 (15, +2)
8. Santos Laguna, 22 (15, +1)
9. Monterrey, 21 (14, +5)
10. Pumas, 20 (15, −2)

Behind them come Querétaro (20), Pachuca and Atlético de San Luis (19), Puebla (16), Tigres (15), Atlante (14), Necaxa (10) and Juárez (8).

After matchday 14 América were two points clear of Cruz Azul and Guadalajara; now all three are level on 29, and Atlas, on 27, are two behind. América have taken two points from their last three matches, while Guadalajara and Cruz Azul have won theirs. Further down, Tijuana, León and Santos Laguna have 22 points and sit sixth to eighth, with Monterrey a point behind and a match in hand. Tigres, Atlante, Necaxa and Juárez can no longer reach the 22 points of the team in eighth.

Numbers to know

• 31 goals in nine matches; five home wins, two away wins and two draws.
• Six penalties: five converted, by Cuypers, Julio, Martín, Montaño and Alvarado, and one missed, by Vega.
• Three players sent off: Franco, Bueno and Pereira.
• Rondón tops the scoring charts with 15, five more than Henry Martín (10) and six more than Juninho (9).
• América have scored 36 goals, the best attack in the tournament; Guadalajara have conceded 14, the best defence.

Next up

Matchday 16 begins on Friday 6 November: Atlético de San Luis v Juárez and Necaxa v Tijuana (19:00 Mexico City time) and Atlante v Santos Laguna (21:00). On Saturday 7: Atlas v Pachuca and Tigres v Cruz Azul (17:00), Toluca v Monterrey (19:00) and Pumas v América (21:00). On Sunday 8: Querétaro v Puebla (18:00) and León v Guadalajara (20:00). The full table and the kick-off times are on the Liga MX page.

Sources for the context: El Universal (América v Toluca), El Universal (Pachuca v Tigres), Fox Sports México, La Razón.