Duk and Monzón sink Cruz Azul 0-2 Atlas in Liga MX 2026

The 90 minutes of regulation time had elapsed, and Atlas continued to lead 2-0 on Cruz Azul’s home turf. Cruz Azul made its final attempts to at least score a good and add some drama to the closing minutes. Six minutes of stoppage time were added—we would see if anything happened.

It was unbelievable what Ibáñez had just missed—with the game coming to a close, that was the chance to score a late goal and close the gap. Substitutions for Atlas: Esteves and Valenzuela came off; Rodríguez and academy product Serrato came on.

With five minutes left in regulation, things were looking increasingly difficult for La Máquina. Cruz Azul maintained possession and tried to create danger with crosses and combinations near the box, while Atlas defended its 2-0 lead with discipline.

The final stretch—just over 9 minutes remaining. Cruz Azul continued to press against an Atlas defense that remained focused and was successfully shutting down the paths to its goal. Atlas was beginning to find key openings every time it regained possession, thanks to Cruz Azul’s need to push its lines forward.

Another substitution: Atlas coach Hernán Crespo made a move. Fresh legs came onto the field to help the team hold on during that final stretch of the match at Banorte Stadium; Zaldívar came off, and Hernández came on in his place.

Another substitution by Cruz Azul. They knew they had to take a risk given the situation in the game and their two-goal deficit; Joel Huiqui sent Gabriel Fernández onto the field, and Carlos Rodríguez left the field.

We were entering the final twenty minutes, and Cruz Azul stepped up the pressure significantly. La Máquina looked to attack more directly and packed the box around Camilo Vargas, while Atlas held firm and remained ready to counterattack.

Substitutions: Both teams made more changes this time. Atlas took out Duk and Ponchito González, bringing in Ferrareis and Víctor Ríos. For Cruz Azul, Márquez was replaced by academy product González.

An hour into the match, Cruz Azul continued to search for the goal that would get them back into the game. The home team pushed forward and pressed every time Atlas tried to move the ball up the field, but the Zorros held their ground and waited for the right moment to strike.

The Cementeros were starting to gain more possession and were looking to move the ball quickly from side to side to find open spaces. Atlas had no need to rush and maintained a well-organized defensive block.

Cruz Azul came out with a much more aggressive approach and began to push more players into Atlas's half. La Máquina knew it needed to score as soon as possible to turn the tide, while Atlas remained compact.

The second half kicked off at Banorte Stadium! Cruz Azul returned to the field with a tough task ahead after going into halftime down 2-0. They were forced to make substitutions: Ebere and Montaño came off, and Romero and García came on.

That was a great goal—a great goal by Atlas. What a play they put together: Esteves moved the ball forward and set up Monzón, who took a shot that was heading right into the top corner. It would have been their second goal, but the post denied them. Cruz Azul, who hadn’t been playing well up to that point, got off the hook.

We were past the halfway point of the first half, and Atlas gained confidence as the minutes ticked by. Neither team had clearly taken control, and the battles for the ball were very physical; neither side created any real scoring chances when they moved the ball out of their own half.

The match was starting to even out in midfield, where neither team was able to maintain complete control for very long. Cruz Azul looked to penetrate deep down the flanks, while Atlas tried to capitalize on every turnover to launch direct attacks.

La Máquina regained ground and began to move the ball more quickly, seeking to disrupt the visitors' defensive structure. They took advantage of Campos' speed on the wings and created danger in front of Atlas' defense.

Atlas began to shake off the early pressure and managed to gain more possession. The Rojinegros tried to build up play patiently and find spaces between the Celeste’s lines, while Cruz Azul pressed after every turnover. The match maintained a fast pace, and both teams showed offensive intent.

In the opening minutes, Cruz Azul tried to take control of the game early by maintaining possession. The “Cementeros” pushed forward and sought to establish themselves in Atlas’s half, while Atlas maintained a compact formation and waited to regain possession to launch quick counterattacks.

Everything was ready at Banorte Stadium for the start of the game. Both teams put the finishing touches on their preparations and got ready to take the field. La Máquina needed to bounce back after a tough few weeks, while the Zorros looked to build on their strong start to the season.

Atlas had also finalized the starting lineup with which it would attempt to extend its excellent start to the 2026 Apertura. The Foxes came into the game with confidence after securing three wins in four matches and looked to maintain that momentum against the defending champion.

Cruz Azul had already finalized the starting lineup with which it would seek to get back on the winning track that night. La Máquina headed into the match needing to bounce back from its recent results and aiming to reclaim its home-field advantage.

Both sides continued to fine-tune the final details during their warm-ups on the field at Banorte Stadium. The two teams performed warm-up exercises and ball work while the coaching staff closely watched their every move.

The uniforms were ready for the match at Banorte Stadium. Cruz Azul wore its traditional home uniform, all in blue, while Atlas took the field in white with red and black trim—their away uniform.

Both sides faced off again just a few months after their quarterfinal series. The Celestes won 3-2 in Guadalajara and then prevailed 1-0 at home to advance with a 4-2 aggregate score. That night, Atlas had another chance to break La Máquina’s recent dominance.

La Máquina’s roster for the match was missing some key players. Rodolfo Rotondi had not yet recovered and was out for at least one to two weeks; the same went for Gonzalo Piovi, who was expected to return in two weeks. In addition, Erik Lira was not on the roster due to a decision by the coaching staff.

Atlas built on its strong run of form last matchday with a victory over Tigres, a result that marked another statement win early in the season. The Rojinegros came into the game with confidence and faced a Cruz Azul team under pressure to get back to winning ways—a situation they might try to capitalize on as the match progressed.