Cruz Azul hosts Santos Laguna this Sunday at the Estadio Banorte with a historic 120-point advantage in the cumulative table since 2024. The match revives memories of the 2021 final, but the two projects have taken radically different paths, according to an analysis published by Record.
How large is the current gap?
The distance between both clubs has widened consistently. From the start of the Clausura 2024 through matchday six of the Apertura 2026, Cruz Azul has amassed 185 points. In the same period, Santos Laguna has gathered only 65 points. That 120-point gap illustrates the divergence in performance and consistency. La Máquina has recorded 54 wins, 23 draws, and 14 defeats in that span. The Warriors, meanwhile, have a record of 17 victories, 14 draws, and 60 losses.
This Sunday, the reigning Liga MX champion welcomes a rival seeking to rediscover its form. The Cruz Azul roster, which you can check on our squad page, arrives with the confidence of having reached at least the semifinals in five consecutive tournaments.
How did they reach this point after the final?
The starting point was the Liga MX championship final they contested in 2021. At that time, Cruz Azul had eight titles and Santos had six. Since then, the sky-blue team has added two more stars to reach ten championships. Santos Laguna has not been able to lift another trophy and their last playoff appearance was in the Apertura 2023.
Consistency has made the difference. While Cruz Azul has remained a constant protagonist in the fight for titles, Santos has spent several years away from that competitive version. The evolution of both projects can be followed in the current season's standings.
What do the recent stats show?
The numbers from the latest tournaments complete the picture. Cruz Azul's advantage is not only in titles but in week-to-week consistency. The team currently managed has built a defensive and offensive solidity reflected in the league table.
Santos, on the other hand, has had to rebuild its project on several occasions. Their inconsistency has kept them away from the decisive stages. For this weekend's match, both squads are at full strength, according to the injuries report.
The Matchday 7 fixture of the Apertura 2026 will be played on Sunday at the Estadio Banorte. The referee appointed for the encounter is Fernando Guerrero.
