Santos Laguna defeats Necaxa 1-0 as missed chances lead to visible tension

Santos Laguna secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Necaxa at Estadio TSM during Matchday 15 of the Liga MX Apertura 2026 tournament. The team managed by Renato Paiva capitalized on a second-half own goal to claim all three points, elevating their standing to eighth place in the general table with 22 units and keeping themselves firmly in the playoff hunt.

During the opening half, the visiting squad known as the Rayos displayed a stronger performance and generated clear opportunities to break the deadlock. However, a severe lack of finishing thwarted their efforts to take the lead in a match that ultimately proved costly for their campaign.

Colombian forward Juan Valencia squandered a major chance early in the game when he found himself alone in front of goalkeeper Carlos Acevedo at the 19th minute. Valencia first struck the left goalpost, and as the rebound landed right back at his feet, he fumbled the opportunity and lost control of the ball before he could recover a second shot.

The missed chance drew intense frustration from Necaxa manager Juan Reynoso. Television broadcast footage captured the Peruvian coach severely reprimanding Valencia after substituting him off the pitch in the 59th minute, a confrontation that left the striker in tears on the substitutes' bench while receiving comfort from a member of the coaching staff.

The definitive moment of the match arrived at the 72nd minute when Matías Espíndola accidentally deflected the ball into his own net with his knee. Despite the late defensive miscue, the final score reflects a missed opportunity for the visiting side, particularly given the magnitude of Valencia's earlier mistake.

The outcome pushed Santos Laguna back to the winner's circle following a previous loss to Xolos de Tijuana, marking their fifth home victory of the tournament. Meanwhile, the current campaign has proven difficult for Necaxa, who sit mathematically eliminated from postseason contention with only ten points accrued across 15 matches with just two rounds remaining in the regular phase.