Cruz Azul Beats Santos Laguna 1-0 in Liga MX — Jeremy Márquez Scores the Winner

Charle Albert
March 3, 2026
Sports

Cruz Azul Stays Top After Thriller in Torreón; Santos Laguna Crisis Deepens

TORREÓN, MEXICO – Cruz Azul maintained their stranglehold on the top of the Liga MX table on Tuesday night, overcoming a resilient Santos Laguna 2-1 in a dramatic Matchday 9 encounter at Estadio TSM Corona.

Match Summary

The visitors wasted no time asserting dominance. In the 14th minute, Jeremy Márquez opened the scoring after a slick team move orchestrated by Carlos Rodríguez. Though VAR initially paused the celebration to check for a potential offside, the goal was upheld, giving La Máquina an early lead.

Santos Laguna, desperate for points under new manager Omar Tapia, fought back early in the second half. In the 49th minute, Ezequiel Bullaude capitalized on a defensive lapse to fire home an equalizer, sending the home crowd into a frenzy.

However, the league leaders’ quality eventually told. In the 78th minute, Rodolfo Rotondi delivered a perfect cross to José Paradela, who clinical strike found the back of the net to secure the 2-1 victory.

Key Moments & Controversies

VAR Red Card Reversal: In the 24th minute, Santos defender Javier Güémez was shown a straight red for a hard challenge on Paradela. After a VAR review, the referee downgraded the card to a yellow, keeping the match at 11 vs 11.
Woodwork Denial: Just before halftime, Cruz Azul’s Agustín Palavecino nearly doubled the lead, but his header rattled the post.
Santos Absences: The hosts were clearly hampered by the suspensions of top scorer Lucas Di Yorio and midfielder Carlos Gruezo.

Standings Update

Team	Points	Record (W-D-L)	Position
Cruz Azul	22	7–1–1	1st Place
Santos Laguna	2	0–2–7	18th Place

What’s Next: Matchday 10 Schedule

Both teams return to action this weekend as the Clausura 2026 enters a critical stretch.

Cruz Azul vs. Atlético San Luis

Date: Saturday, March 7, 2026
Time: 3:00 PM ET / 12:00 PM PT
Venue: Estadio Azteca, Mexico City
Where to Watch: Univision / TUDN / ViX+

Tijuana vs. Santos Laguna

Date: Sunday, March 8, 2026
Time: 11:00 PM ET / 8:00 PM PT
Venue: Estadio Caliente, Tijuana
Where to Watch: TUDN / ViX+

Charle Albert

Charles Albert is a news editor and digital media professional with a sharp eye for what people are searching for — and an even sharper instinct for covering it fast.
As Chief Editor of FinexNews, Charles leads all editorial operations with one simple mission: get the right story published before the moment passes. He built his career around the belief that people deserve fast, clear, and accurate reporting on the topics that matter to them right now — whether that's a breaking sports result, a market story gaining traction, or a cultural moment everyone is suddenly talking about.
Charles reshaped FinexNews from the ground up to become a trend-driven news platform that tracks what America is actually searching for and delivers real answers without the filler. Under his leadership, the site covers everything from live sports scores and entertainment news to finance headlines and viral stories — all updated throughout the day as trends develop.
His editorial standard is straightforward: if a reader still has questions after reading the story, the job isn't done. Every piece published on FinexNews is written to inform quickly, clearly, and completely.
That reader-first approach has built a growing audience of people who come to FinexNews not just to skim headlines, but to actually understand what's happening — and why it matters right now.

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