The Liga MX Clausura 2026 is rapidly coming towards its conclusion, and some of its major players have started to crack under pressure. Recent results have seen Cruz Azul and Toluca lose touch at the top of the table, while league leaders Chivas maintain a four-point lead.
Both teams were recognized as title contenders before a ball was kicked, with many tipping Toluca for a third-straight league triumph.
While there are four games remaining of the regular season and an expectation that quality levels will ramp up in the postseason, form for both these sides has raised concerns.
Cruz Azul winless in last three league matches
The reigning Concacaf Champions Cup winners seemed set for a run at the Apertura title last year, under new manager Nicólas Larcamon, but those efforts were cut short after a semi-final defeat to Tigres.
In 2026, La Máquina once again looked like an unbreakable force with tunnel vision for the title. Eight wins from ten matches set the record straight. They even beat front-runners Chivas. But recently, however, the wheels have started to come off.
Cruz Azul appeared lethargic, lacking ideas and creativity, when they played Pumas back on March 14. They had a two goal lead going into halftime, but only took away a point despite Los Universitarios being reduced to ten men.
That same struggle to unlock low-block, defensively well-organized sides proved to get the better of the team during their visit to Mazatlán. They needed a late equalizer to avoid a surprise defeat.
This weekend highlighted another low for the nine-time Liga MX champions. They lost to fellow playoff hopefuls Pachuca, who took the lead twice before also receiving a red card.
It’s three league games without a win for Cruz Azul, who hold onto second place by a single point. They know that any more slip-ups will hand Pachuca and Pumas the opportunity to climb above them.
Toluca suffer a first loss of the year
Meanwhile, at the Estadio Corregidora, Querétaro claimed all three points against the reigning bi-champions, Toluca. Considering Los Rojos Diablos had gone unbeaten from their opening 12 matches, the one-nil result off Alí Ávila’s goal raised eyebrows across the league.
Even more concerning is that Toluca have managed only one win in their last five matches, and that wasn’t a league competition, but a Concacaf Champions Cup match.
Prior to this recent bleak run of form, the club had started to return to their dominant selves, winning five games on the bounce, beating the likes of Pumas, Juárez and even Chivas.
Since then, draws to Atlas and Pachuca have served as a setback, while this most recent loss piles on the pressure for when they face Atlético de San Luis next weekend.
