Last Updated on April 22, 2026 12:56 pm by ZUWP Automation
San Luis have lost their last two without scoring; Santos have not won in five. Something has to give.
There is a particular kind of desperation that settles over a fixture when neither side can remember what winning feels like. Atlético San Luis arrive at this match having been shut out in back-to-back home and away defeats. Santos Laguna come in with five matches without a victory, three of those lost. Thursday night at the Estadio Alfonso Lastras Ramírez has the feel of two sides searching for anything to hold onto.
Match Details
- Fixture: Atlético San Luis vs Santos Laguna
- Venue: Estadio Alfonso Lastras Ramírez
- Date: 23 April 2026
- Competition: Liga MX (2025/26)
- Referee: Not confirmed
The Form Problem
Atlético San Luis’s recent form is as bleak as it gets. A 0-1 defeat away at Toluca was followed by a 0-2 home loss to Pumas UNAM, leaving them with no goals scored and none of the points from their last two outings. Two matches, two clean sheets conceded, nothing in return. The Estadio Alfonso Lastras Ramírez, which should be a fortress, was where they were beaten most recently.
Santos Laguna’s picture is only marginally less grim, but the trend line is equally concerning. Their last five matches read: a 0-1 home loss to Cruz Azul, a 0-0 draw at home to Puebla, another 0-0 at home to América, a 1-2 defeat away at Pachuca, and a 0-1 home loss to Atlas on 19 April. That is three defeats, two draws, and zero wins across five matches. Santos have scored precisely one goal in that entire run, the consolation in the Pachuca defeat.
The summary is stark: Santos Laguna are 0W 2D 3L in their last five, while San Luis are 0W 0D 2L in their last two. Between them, these sides have managed one goal in their combined recent seven matches. The market for goals at this fixture should feel appropriately nervous.
Key Players to Watch
In a match that may be decided by the smallest of margins, Santos Laguna’s Ezequiel Bullaude carries the heaviest creative burden. The midfielder has three goals from six appearances this season, ranking 8th in the league for scoring. He has also contributed four key passes and nine shots across those outings, with five on target. His average rating of 6.89 is the highest of any Santos player with meaningful minutes, and his willingness to shoot, nine attempts with five on target, makes him the most likely source of something decisive for the visitors.
Alongside Bullaude, striker Lucas Di Yorio offers a different kind of threat. Two goals and two assists from five starts, combined with 16 shots and nine on target, makes him Santos’s most active attacking presence. His average rating of 7.06 is the joint-highest in the squad, and he ranks 13th in the league for assists. Di Yorio draws fouls, holds the ball, and generates volume. In a match that may hinge on a single moment, he is the player most capable of providing it.
For the hosts, goalkeeper Carlos Acevedo has been carrying a significant load. He has made 24 saves across six appearances, ranking 5th in the league for saves. The volume of work he has faced tells its own story about San Luis’s defensive fragility, but his presence between the posts gives the home side something to build from if they can tighten up in front of him.
Head to Head
The historical record across the last five meetings leans marginally towards Santos Laguna, who hold three wins to San Luis’s two, with no draws. The most recent encounter, however, went to the home side: Atlético San Luis won 1-0 at Santos’s Estadio Nuevo Corona in September 2025. That result will not be lost on either dressing room. San Luis know they can take points at Santos’s ground; Santos will be keen to respond on the road.
What the Bookmakers Say
Despite their wretched recent form, Atlético San Luis are clear favourites on home soil. The consensus across five bookmakers puts San Luis at approximately -140 in American odds (implied probability of around 58%), with Santos Laguna as significant outsiders at around +325 (implied probability of roughly 24%). The draw sits at approximately +310, implying around a 24% chance. The goals line has moved down from an opening of 3.5 to 3.25, reflecting the goalless streaks both sides carry into this fixture. The market is cautious about goals, and the recent evidence supports that caution.
Closing Argument
Two sides who cannot score, cannot win, and cannot afford another blank Thursday night at the Estadio Alfonso Lastras Ramírez. San Luis have the home advantage and the bookmakers’ backing, but their inability to find the net in 180 minutes of football is a real concern against a Santos side that, for all their own struggles, have Bullaude and Di Yorio capable of punishing a single lapse. The question is not which side deserves to win. The question is which side wants it badly enough to finally break their silence.
