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How to Watch América vs Chivas
Match: América vs Chivas, Liga MX Apertura 2026, Jornada 9
Date: Saturday, September 19, 2026
Kickoff: 11:15 PM ET / 10:15 PM CT / 8:15 PM PT (9:15 PM local time)
Venue: Estadio Banorte, Mexico City
TV (USA): Univision, TUDN
Streaming (USA): ViX Premium
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For the full season guide to watching Liga MX in the United States, see our Liga MX viewing guide.
The Clásico Nacional returns to Mexico City on Saturday night with the top of the Liga MX table on the line. Toluca lead the Apertura 2026 with 19 points after winning their postponed Jornada 7 match at Puebla on Tuesday. Chivas sit second with 17 points, and América are third with 16, although the Águilas still have a game in hand against Tijuana. A Chivas win at Estadio Banorte would put the Rebaño back on top with 20 points. An América win would pull them level with Toluca on 19. A draw keeps Toluca in first place.
Recent Form
América suffered their first league defeat of the season last Saturday, falling 4-3 to Cruz Azul in a wild Clásico Joven at Estadio Banorte. La Máquina led 4-1 before late goals from Brian Rodríguez, Óscar Perea and Miguel Borja turned it into a one-goal game. Before that defeat, Guillermo Almada’s side had won four consecutive league matches and gone six without a loss. Their last five in Liga MX: the 4-3 loss at Cruz Azul on September 12, a 2-0 win over Puebla on August 29, a 2-1 win at Juárez on August 22, a 3-0 win over Atlético San Luis in mid-August, and a 3-0 win over Santos on August 2. The Jornada 7 match against Tijuana was postponed and will be played on October 28.
Chivas are the form team in Mexico. Gabriel Milito’s side have won four of their last five, including back-to-back 3-0 victories over Pumas at the Akron last Sunday and at Atlético San Luis the week before. Nineteen-year-old Santiago Sandoval scored twice against Pumas, and Bryan González marked his return from injury with a goal. Their last five in Liga MX: the 3-0 win over Pumas on September 13, the 3-0 win at Atlético San Luis on September 5, a 1-1 draw at Pachuca on August 29, a 5-2 win over Tijuana on August 22, and a 1-0 win at Santos on August 16.
Team News
América: Rodolfo Cota will start in goal again after saving a penalty from Nicolás Ibáñez against Cruz Azul. Almada has defensive headaches. Kevin Álvarez is OUT of the Clásico: TUDN’s Julio Ibáñez confirmed on Friday night that the knock to his right foot in training will keep him sidelined despite intensive recovery therapy. Dagoberto Espinoza’s status remains unresolved after conflicting Friday reports over whether he has been ruled out or will undergo a late fitness evaluation. Alan Cervantes is a doubt with a possible muscle tear. New signings Santiago Ramos Mingo and Santiago Bueno could debut in central defense. Raúl Zúñiga is out for the long term after knee surgery, and Víctor Dávila was not registered for the tournament. Alejandro Zendejas came off the bench in the second half last week in his return from injury. Isaías Violante started on the right wing last week, but Claro Sports have floated him as an emergency right-back option with Álvarez out and Espinoza’s status unresolved. América have no suspended players.
Chivas: Milito traveled to Mexico City without three defenders. José Castillo, Miguel Tapias and Miguel Gómez all stayed home with muscle injuries. Omar Govea trained fully and is available after a back scare against Pumas, and Bryan González is pushing Hugo Camberos for a starting spot on the left after his goal last week. Luis Romo is fit and available in the back three, and Raúl Rangel starts in goal. Like América, Chivas have no suspended players.
With Espinoza’s status unresolved, a late fitness test still pending for Cervantes, and Álvarez ruled out, we are not publishing a predicted lineup for this one. Both clubs announce their official lineups one hour before kickoff.
What to Watch
Three in a row? Chivas have won the last two regular-season Clásicos: 2-1 at Estadio Banorte in September 2025 and 1-0 at the Akron in February 2026. Armando González scored in both of those games, but he now plays for Olympiacos in Greece, so the Rebaño need a new Clásico hero. A third consecutive league win over América would match one of the best Clásico sequences of the short-tournament era.
El Tri subplot: Rafael Márquez named his first Mexico squad this week, and it is full of Clásico flavor. Six Chivas players were called up: Rangel, Diego Campillo, Romo, Roberto Alvarado, Hugo Camberos and Sandoval. Three América players made it: Israel Reyes, Cervantes and Violante. Only two players per club will report immediately, with Campillo, Romo, Camberos, Sandoval and Violante joining up after Jornada 10. Neither coach will want the national team talk to become a distraction on Saturday night.
América’s response: Almada did not hide from the Cruz Azul defeat. “Sabíamos que si nos equivocábamos con la jerarquía que tiene Cruz Azul no nos iban a perdonar,” he told TUDN afterward. The Clásico is his chance to show the 4-3 was a one-off, not the start of a slide.
Goalkeeper watch: Rangel goes into the Clásico fresh off a Mexico call-up, while Cota has made the América goal his own in recent weeks.
