Liga MX · Apertura - 15 
Our pick2–1Correct result
Necaxa chase a Liga MX lift against resurgent Santos Laguna
Necaxa head to Torreón looking to climb from 17th after a difficult run of results. Santos Laguna, meanwhile, have won four of their last five.
📍 Estadio TSM Corona
Preview written:
All Apertura, matchday 15 matchesFull head-to-head
Match report
Santos Laguna beat Necaxa 1-0 in Liga MX Apertura round 15. The decisive moment came in the 72nd minute, when Matias Espindola scored an own goal to give Santos Laguna the lead. No red cards were recorded, and that goal remained the only one of the match.
The numbers show Necaxa had more of the ball, with 62% possession, and led 21-6 in total shots and 8-3 in shots on target. Its expected goals figure was also higher, 2.53 to Santos Laguna’s 0.77. Santos goalkeeper C. Acevedo was the top-rated player, with a rating of 9.5. The 1-0 result differed from the model’s predicted 2-1 win for Santos Laguna, which had been assigned a 46% chance of victory.
Goals
- 72'Matias Espindola (o.g.) · Santos Laguna
Cards
- 37'Felipe Sánchez · Santos Laguna
- 45+4'Mauro Zaleta · Necaxa
- 52'Diego Ochoa · Necaxa
- 67'Lorenzo Faravelli · Necaxa
Match stats
⭐ Top-rated player: C. Acevedo (Santos Laguna) 9.5
Ratings and statistics: API-Football.
Confirmed lineups
Santos Laguna · 5-4-1
- 1C. AcevedoG
- 3M. CuevasD
- 28Jonathan PérezD
- 18F. PardoD
- 25Felipe SánchezD
- 17E. EcheverrÃaD
- 19E. AguirreM
- 21Fran VillalbaM
- 23F. CáseresM
- 10E. BullaudeM
- 29Tahiel Adrián Jiménez SánchezF
Coach: Renato Paiva
Necaxa · 4-1-4-1
- 181Javier OrantesG
- 33R. MartínezD
- 5Kaiky NavesD
- 3A. OliverosD
- 15D. OchoaD
- 13Owen de Jesús González OjedaM
- 99M. RodríguezM
- 6D. LeyvaM
- 8L. FaravelliM
- 14M. ZaletaM
- 90J. ValenciaF
Coach: Juan Reynoso
Match facts
Recent form
Last 5 league games, latest on the right
Goals per game
| · | Scored | Conceded |
|---|---|---|
| Santos Laguna | 1.4 | 1.4 |
| Necaxa | 1.1 | 1.9 |
League position
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Santos Laguna | 14 | 0 | 19 |
| 17 | Necaxa | 14 | -11 | 10 |
Last meetings
- 2026Santos Laguna1-3Necaxa
- 2025Necaxa4-1Santos Laguna
- 2025Necaxa3-2Santos Laguna
- 2024Santos Laguna3-2Necaxa
- 2024Necaxa2-0Santos Laguna
PreviaXI model
Model confidence: Open game
- Predicted score
- 2-1
- Expected goals (model)
- 1.76 – 1.37
- Double chance
- 12 · 75%1X 71% · X2 54%
- Over 2.5 goals
- 61%Over 1.5: 83% · Over 3.5: 38%
- Both teams score
- 63%
- Clean sheet
- 25% – 17%Santos Laguna–Necaxa
- Half-time result
- X · 38%1 36% · 2 26%
- Half-time / full-time
- 1/1 · 28%2/2 17% · X/1 15%
- Expected corners
- 10.96.1 – 4.8 · Over 9.5: 63%
- Expected cards
- 5.02.4 – 2.6 · Over 3.5: 71%
- Most likely scores
- 1-111%
- 2-19%
- 1-27%
- 1-07%
- 2-07%
Statistical model based on expected goals (xG), results and match statistics from the last two seasons. For information only. How our model works →
Necaxa need a turning point
Necaxa travel to Estadio TSM Corona on Monday with the standings offering a clear target: they sit 17th in the Liga MX Apertura on 10 points from 14 matches, and will be looking to climb. Santos Laguna are 11th with 19 points, so the hosts have a chance to strengthen their position as the campaign reaches round 15.
The gap in recent momentum is notable. Santos’ last-five record includes four wins, while Necaxa have drawn twice and lost three times across their most recent five matches. The visitors’ 10-point tally and goal difference of -11 underline the challenge they face in Torreón.
Santos’ winning run
Santos have scored 11 goals and conceded five across their last five games. Their overall record stands at six wins, one draw and seven defeats, but their recent form has been markedly stronger than that season-long balance suggests.
Necaxa have scored six and conceded 11 in their last five. They have yet to win away in the league after six matches on the road, recording three draws and three defeats. Their broader record is two wins, four draws and eight losses from 14 games.
Recent meetings favour Necaxa
Necaxa have won four of the last five Liga MX meetings, including a 3-1 victory away to Santos in January. Santos’ sole win in that sequence came at home in September 2024, when they edged a 3-2 result.
Players to watch: both attacks
Santos’ recent return of 11 goals in five matches gives them a strong platform, while Necaxa have still found the net six times in that span despite their defensive struggles. Both sides have also scored regularly in the later stages of matches across their league campaigns, making concentration late on important.
Our prediction
Santos’ home setting and stronger recent results give them the edge, even though Necaxa’s recent head-to-head record is a warning against taking the visitors lightly. PreviaXI’s model favours the hosts, whose attacking output points to a narrow win in a game where Necaxa can also threaten.
Santos Laguna 2-1 Necaxa
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