There was no shortage of rain or excitement in this latest edition of the Clásico Tapatío. Atlas and Chivas tied 1-1 at Jalisco Stadium in a Matchday 11 fixture of the 2026 Apertura season that featured goals, controversial refereeing calls, a missed penalty, and a tense finish.
The effects of Hurricane Simón set the tone for a match in which the Rojinegros took the lead in the second half, but Guadalajara rallied in the final stretch to salvage a point. Kevin Zenón put Atlas ahead, while Ángel Sepúlveda stepped up to score the equalizer.
With this result, Chivas reached 19 points, and Atlas reached 18 points, in a battle for the top spots that remains quite tight.
Chivas dominated the first half but couldn’t find the back of the net
The Clásico Tapatío got off to an intense start. Just two minutes in, the red-and-whites protested a possible handball by Jorge Sánchez inside the box, but referee Marco Antonio Ortiz decided not to call a penalty.
Guadalajara maintained the initiative and created several chances. Brian Gutiérrez and Roberto Alvarado tried their luck from outside the box, though their shots missed the target.
One of the clearest chances came in the 29th minute, when a mistake by Juan José Sánchez Purata left the ball at Richard Ledezma’s feet. The forward attempted a fancy finish, but Camilo Vargas was alert enough to neutralize the threat.
Later, Luis Rey forced the Colombian goalkeeper to make a save with a header. Ricardo Marín even managed to put the ball in the back of the net in the 38th minute, but the goal was disallowed for offside.
Despite Atlas’s dominance, the score remained scoreless at halftime.
Kevin Zenón puts Atlas ahead
The second half changed the course of the game. Atlas began to find openings and capitalized on one of its chances to strike first.
In the 51st minute, Kevin Zenón received a long pass, outran the Chivas defense, and finished past Raúl Rangel to make it 1-0. The Argentine capitalized on the opportunity and electrified the red-and-black fans at Jalisco Stadium.
The Zorros came close to extending their lead on a set piece taken by Luis Esteves, but none of his teammates managed to get a shot off after the ball was deflected.
Chivas needed to respond, and the substitutions began to change the team’s momentum.
Sepúlveda Misses a Penalty but Saves the Draw
One of the most dramatic moments came in the 68th minute, when a penalty was called on Santiago Sandoval. Marco Antonio Ortiz reviewed the play via VAR and upheld his decision after the review.
Ángel Sepúlveda stepped up to take the penalty in the 75th minute, but Camilo Vargas guessed the direction correctly and stopped the shot. The Atlas goalkeeper once again demonstrated his ability to save penalties and kept his team ahead on the scoreboard.
However, the Rojiblanco forward had a chance to redeem himself and didn’t let it slip away.
In the 85th minute, Sepúlveda appeared inside the box and, following an assist from Brian Gutiérrez, fired a shot that found the back of the net to tie the game at 1-1.
Chivas finishes with 10 men, and Atlas nearly pulls off the win
The final minutes were still full of excitement. In stoppage time, Raúl Rangel saved Guadalajara from defeat by stopping a shot by Sánchez Purata that could have given Atlas the win.
In addition, Chivas finished the match with ten players following Kevin Castañeda’s ejection.
The final whistle confirmed the draw in a Clásico Tapatío that had it all, but left both teams feeling they could have come away with more.
Chivas has now gone four consecutive games without a win, though they still have a chance to contend at the top of the 2026 Apertura standings. Atlas, for its part, remains close to its rival in the standings. The rivalry ended without a winner, but with enough excitement to keep the race for the top spots alive.
