Match recap: Santos Laguna 0, Guadalajara 0

While both teams had their chances, ultimately it was a goalkeeper’s game as Santos and Chivas played to a 0-0 draw. Santos remain undefeated on the season, with Carlos Acevedo picking up his second shutout in four games. Chivas have drawn two straight, with goalkeeper Toño Rodríguez picking up his second clean sheet in four games as well.

Chivas started out the match with a little more of the momentum, and Alexis Vega had the game’s first chance just a minute in when he cut in from the right side and hit a left footed shot that didn’t curl quite enough to be on frame. Santos had a good rush forward in the fifth minute but Fernando Gorriarán’s pass to Diego Valdés caught him wrong footed and the ball was cleared out for a throw-in. Santos took the majority of possession early, keeping the ball for long stretches while they tried to break down the Chivas defense. In the 15th minute Chivas looked like they were going to have a good chance on the breakaway but a last-second sliding tackle from Hugo Rodríguez dispossessed Ángel Zaldívar before he could shoot. A minute later Uriel Antuna had a good chance against his old team but his shot was wide of the mark.

The game got pretty physical, with the teams trading fouls both called and otherwise. Uriel Antuna got a shot on goal in the 27th minute, but Carlos Acevedo saw it the entire way and barely had to move to make the stop. In the 31st minute Zaldívar hit a rocket off of a bounce at the top of the box, but as good as his spinning shot was the save Acevedo made to tip it away from the corner of the net was better.

At the other end, Santos had a decent chance in the 35th but Juan Ferney Otero’s header in the box missed the mark. Then in the 39th Santos had a great chance when Gernando Gorriarán hit a shot from distance that Toño Rodríguez stopped but gave up a rebound straight to a wide open Alberto Ocejo, but Ocejo’s shot was rushed and went well over the net and into the stands, much to the dismay of manager Guillermo Almada. In the 42nd Diego Valdés hit a corner kick that clattered off of the top of the crossbar and went out, missing an Olímpico by inches. Deservedly or not, the teams went in to the locker room scoreless at the half.

Chivas came out attacking in the second half. In the 48th minute Antuna made another nice run and hit a shot that Acevedo made a fine save on. As the game played on, Santos started to take advantage of possession and create some looks at goal while Chivas has back on their heels a bit. In the 58th minute Otero hit a shot from about 30 yards out that just missed the far corner. In the 66th Santos was able to set up deep and get a ball to Diego Valdés at the top of the box, but he wasn’t able to control it and the chance never materialized.

In the 69th there was some controversy as a ball into the box by Jesús Angulo looked to hit the arm of Ismael Govea. Play was stopped for a few minutes while a VAR review was conducted in the booth but nothing came of it and play resumed. Angulo then went out in the 71st and hit a shot that Acevedo made a fantastic one-on-one stop on. Santos was able to a gain get the better of possession but couldn’t quite make anything out of it. Fernando Gorriarán had a shot in the 81st but his one-timer off of a bounce went well over the net. In the 89th, Jesús Angulo ripped a shot but it swerved wide of the net. Chivas piled on the pressure late but Santos was able to hold out and get the draw at home.

Santos remains at home to host Atlas on Wednesday before heading to Guanajuato to face León on Saturday. Chivas meanwhile will host León on Wednesday before heading to Monterrey to face Rayados on Saturday.

Santos Laguna: Carlos Acevedo: Ismael Govea, Hugo Rodríguez, Félix Torres, Carlos Orrantia; Alan Cervantes (Roni Prieto, 76’), Fernando Gorriarán; Jesús Isijara (David Andrade, 49’), Diego Valdés (Ignacio Jeraldino, 76’), Juan Ferney Otero; Alberto Ocejo (Jordan Carrillo, 63’)

Guadalajara: Toño Rodríguez; Alejandro Mayorga, Luis Olivas (Gilberto Sepúlveda, 45’), Antonio Briseño, Jesús Sánchez; Alan Torres (Fernando Beltrán, 45’), Sergio Flores; Carlos Cisneros (Jesús Angulo, 67’) , Alexis Vega, Uriel Antuna (Isaác Brisuela, 68); Ángel Zaldívar (José Godínez, 80’)

Scoring: Santos Laguna - None; Guadalajara - None

Disciplinary: Santos Laguna - Jesús Isijara (Yellow - 18’); Guadalajara - Alejandro Mayorga (Yellow - 62’), Antonio Briseño (Yellow - 84’)