Guadalajara Chivas and Atlas are both back in the top four of the Liga MX Apertura 2026 after five matchdays. This coincidence had not happened since the Apertura 2023 tournament, nearly three years ago. The Rebaño Sagrado currently holds fourth place with 10 points from 3 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss, arriving at this point with a positive goal difference of 8 scored and 5 conceded.
Their last match was a commanding 5-2 victory over Club Tijuana on August 22, part of a strong recent run of four wins and a draw in their last five outings. The team sits three points behind leaders Club América, and their next challenge is an away fixture against bottom-placed Atlético San Luis on September 5.
The last time Guadalajara Chivas and Atlas were simultaneously among the league's top four was on the first matchday of the Apertura 2023. Back then, Atlas was in second place and Chivas in fourth. To find an earlier precedent, you have to go back to the Clausura 2017, specifically to matchday 16, when the Rojinegros were third and the red-and-white side fourth. Interestingly, that same tournament ended with Guadalajara Chivas being crowned champion after defeating Tigres in the final.
A review of the last ten seasons shows this situation is not extremely common but has repeated at several key moments. Besides the cases already mentioned in 2023 and 2017, both clubs also shared the upper zone in the Clausura 2019 (Chivas second and Atlas fourth after four matchdays) and the Clausura 2020 (Chivas second and Atlas third after the first matchday). This last tournament, however, was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In total, over the past decade, they have coincided in the top four on five distinct occasions.
For Guadalajara Chivas, this fourth-place position represents a good starting point, albeit with room for improvement. The team has shown a potent attack, as demonstrated in the 5-2 win over Tijuana, but must maintain consistency. Being just three points off the top with much of the season left is a positive stimulus. Fans can follow the evolution of the table on our standings page. The current performance suggests the team is in the fight for playoff spots, a minimum objective for an institution of its stature.
The immediate schedule presents an opportunity to stays. The visit to Atlético San Luis, currently in last place, is a match where, on paper, they should take all three points to keep pace with the leaders. Maintaining the streak of good results will be key to aspiring for more than just qualification. The squad, whose individual data can be checked in our stats section, has the responsibility to sustain this level. The coincidence with Atlas in the upper zone highlights the competitiveness of football in Guadalajara this season. The team must now capitalize on this good moment in their next trip to San Luis.
