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Match: Atlas vs Pumas (Liga MX Apertura 2026, Jornada 9)
Date: Saturday, September 19, 2026
Kickoff: 7:00 PM ET / 6:00 PM CT / 4:00 PM PT (5:00 PM local time)
Venue: Estadio Jalisco, Guadalajara
TV (U.S.): Univision, TUDN
Streaming (U.S.): ViX Premium
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Preview
Atlas and Pumas meet at the Estadio Jalisco on Saturday night with both clubs desperate to stop a slide. Atlas sits ninth with 13 points but has taken just one point from its last three matches after a bright start to the Apertura 2026. Pumas is 11th with 11 points and arrives fresh off a 3-0 thrashing at Chivas that left coach Esteban Solari openly frustrated with his team’s finishing and defending.
The stakes are simple. A Pumas victory would lift the visitors above Atlas in the table, while an Atlas win would move the Rojinegros into the top eight and five points clear of Pumas.
Recent Form
Atlas (last five, all Liga MX): W, W, L, D, L
- September 12: lost 2-5 at Toluca
- September 5: drew 1-1 vs Atlante (home)
- August 29: lost 1-3 vs Querétaro (home)
- August 22: won 2-0 at Cruz Azul
- August 15: won 2-1 vs Tigres (home)
Atlas started the tournament superbly. The Rojinegros celebrated the club’s 110th anniversary on August 15 by beating Tigres 2-1 at the Jalisco, with Manuel Capasso scoring after two minutes and Camilo Vargas saving a late Juan Brunetta penalty even after Atlas went down to ten men. A week later they won 2-0 at Cruz Azul through Édgar Zaldívar and Duk. Since then, the wheels have come off: a 1-3 home loss to Querétaro, a 1-1 home draw with Atlante, and last weekend’s 2-5 collapse at Toluca, where Atlas trailed 3-0 at halftime before late goals from Florián Monzón and Duk added respectability to the scoreline. Hernán Crespo’s defense has now conceded 14 goals in eight matches, and nine of those have come in the last three.
Pumas (last five, all Liga MX): D, D, L, W, L
- September 13: lost 0-3 at Chivas
- September 10: won 3-1 vs León (home, postponed Jornada 7)
- August 28: lost 0-2 at Tijuana
- August 23: drew 1-1 vs Necaxa (home)
- August 16: drew 0-0 vs Querétaro (home)
Pumas has been the definition of inconsistent. The 3-1 win over León on September 10, with Juninho adding to his tally, suggested the universitarios were turning a corner. Three days later at the Estadio Akron, they were dismantled 3-0 by Chivas: Santiago Sandoval scored twice and Bryan González added the third in front of more than 46,300 fans. Pumas played without César Huerta, out with muscle discomfort, and had a Juninho goal chalked off by VAR for offside. Solari blamed poor finishing, soft goals conceded and a visible drop in energy. The defeat also means Pumas has gone scoreless across its last two away matches.
Team News
Atlas has Édgar Zaldívar listed as doubtful, while Manuel Capasso finished the Toluca defeat with a late knock but is projected to be available. Camilo Vargas is expected to start in goal.
Pumas could have a major boost: César Huerta traveled with the squad to Guadalajara and may finally make his long-awaited debut after returning from Europe, although reports differ on how likely he is to feature and the club is expected to manage his minutes carefully following the lower back issue that also cost him a place in Rafael Márquez’s first Mexico squad. Álvaro Angulo is reportedly back from injury and available, which matters with Cristian Calderón sidelined after getting hurt against León. José Juan Macías and Sebastián Córdova remain out.
Storylines to Watch
Can Atlas defend its own box? The Rojinegros have conceded nine goals in three matches and now face a Pumas side that put three past León nine days ago.
The Huerta question. The winger’s return from Anderlecht was supposed to transform Pumas’ attack, but a lower back problem caused by a lack of preseason work has delayed his debut. Even a brief cameo at the Jalisco would be the story of the night.
A Mexico subplot. Pumas is the only one of Mexico’s “Cuatro Grandes” without a player in Márquez’s first national team squad: América, Chivas and Cruz Azul all have representatives, while Atlas is represented by defender Jorge Sánchez. Huerta’s absence from that list stings most.
Recent history says tight. The last five league meetings have produced one win apiece and three draws. The most recent, a 2-2 draw at the Estadio Jalisco on February 7, 2026, saw Pedro Vite and Juninho score for Pumas and Mateo García and Manuel Capasso reply for Atlas.
Outlook
Atlas’s home form has cooled and Pumas cannot buy a goal on the road, which points to a tight, nervy night at the Jalisco. The Rojinegros’ need is arguably greater: Atlas enter the match ninth and outside the top-eight Liguilla places. A win would take the Rojinegros to 16 points and move them above Puebla’s current total, while Pumas can still leapfrog its host with a victory. Expect a match decided by one moment, quite possibly from a set piece or a Huerta cameo off the bench.
