- América have won three of the last four Liga MX meetings with Santos Laguna, including 3 - 0 and 4 - 1 wins last season.
- América have lost key players to injury including starting goalkeeper Luis Ángel Malagón and Santiago Dávila.
- Santos Laguna have won two, lost two and drawn one of their last five games in all competitions.
America enter with an injury crisis
Santos Laguna and Club América clash on Sunday in a clash of two under-performing teams in the Liga MX Clausura 2026 with the visitors having the quality and record to come out on top.
América are languishing in mid-table with around 14 points from nine or ten games, while Santos Laguna are near the bottom with less than eight points to their name. So the visiting team needs the three points more, but both clubs need to start picking up more points to achieve their respective goals of making the play-offs and escaping the drop zone.
América are the overwhelming favourites for the clash, but their price of 57/100 seems very short considering Santos are 39/10 to win. The home side have been better in recent weeks and interim coach Omar Tapia seems to have given the team a clear identity.
Tapia has made his mark on Santos
Omar Tapia has transformed Santos from a possession-based side that had a tendency to sit back when out of possession into a much more pragmatic team. The team are now compact and get the ball forward quickly to try and expose the opposition backline, which will be reshuffled by América’s injury list.
There is no doubt América’s superiority in squad depth and individual quality gives them a better chance of coming out on top here, but the visitors’ injury list and Santos’ desperation for the win could make this closer than the odds indicate.
Luis Ángel Malagón’s season-ending Achilles tendon injury is the biggest story around América coming into this game. The starting goalkeeper is also Mexico’s starting shot-stopper, so his loss will be felt all over the national setup. Striker Santiago Dávila has also been lost to injury and will be a big miss in América’s attack.
Open game likely with visitors having the edge
América head coach André Jardine is adept at getting his team to control games with a patient build-up and organised pressing game, but his tactical flexibility and ability to mix and match squad players and manage the continental and domestic schedule will be tested here.
Expect América to have a bit more quality than Santos, but with injuries up front, América may not score enough to put the game to bed. Backing over 2.5 goals at 31/50 could be a better alternative to the head-to-head markets because both teams are a bit leaky at the back.
Brian Rodríguez can be a major threat on his day, but with injuries up front, América may have to rely on wide attacker Alejandro Zendejas and striker José Zúñiga, who have each chipped in with goals recently.
Santos Laguna’s Lucas Di Yorio is the main goal threat in this game after scoring in recent matches and has been the club’s leading attacking force this campaign.
Carlos Gruezo is the midfield anchor and Santos’ main distributor in transition, but Ezequiel Bullaude has been a spark on the wings recently, scoring and assisting in the last two wins over Tijuana and Puebla. High temperatures in Torreón may slow the tempo and force Jardine to make early substitutions that could affect América’s pressing and energy in the late stages, but the overall feeling is that the quality of América should see them just edge it.
