Santos Laguna began their participation in the Apertura 2026 Tournament on Saturday night, facing Rayados at the BBVA Stadium.
The home team took the initiative in the opening minutes, finding a response in Carlos Acevedo, who intervened opportunely against shots from Diego Rossi and Luca Orellano.
Rayados opened the scoring in the 20th minute through Lucas Ocampos and extended their lead in the 24th minute with another goal from the Argentine forward. At the 31st minute, Jesús Manuel "Tecatito" Corona scored the third goal for the Monterrey team.
The Warriors found a reward before halftime. In the 39th minute, Lucas di Yorio capitalized on a rebound inside the box to send the ball into the back of the net, scoring his seventh goal as a verdiblanco player and narrowing the score for Santos. Before the halftime whistle, Acevedo reappeared with a remarkable save to prevent another goal from the home team.
In the second half, Santos Laguna showed a better version of themselves. The team pushed forward, gained presence in the opponent's half, and took control of the game during several stretches. In the 53rd minute, Acevedo responded again with a timely intervention after a shot from Gerardo Arteaga.
Looking to refresh the offensive setup, Renato Paiva made a triple substitution in the 59th minute, bringing on Eduardo Aguirre, Fran Villalba, and Kevin Picón for Lucas di Yorio, Diego González, and Javier Abella.
Two minutes later, Ramiro Sordo sent a dangerous cross that Ezequiel Bullaude headed just wide.
In the final stretch of the match, Diego Medina and Aldo López entered the field for Carlos Gruezo and Ramiro Sordo.
Santos' persistence was rewarded again, this time in added time. After a corner kick, Franco Pardo connected with the ball, and Eduardo "Mudo" Aguirre appeared to score the final 3-2, a result that reflected the Warriors' reaction during the second half.
The First Team will immediately return to Torreón to prepare for their next match, their first home game in the Apertura 2026 Tournament, when they host Atlas FC next Saturday at the Estadio Corona.
Santos Laguna starting lineup:
Carlos Acevedo; Javier Abella, Franco Pardo, Felipe Sánchez, Mauricio Cuevas; Carlos Gruezo, Salvador Mariscal; Diego González, Ezequiel Bullaude, Ramiro Sordo; Lucas di Yorio.
Head Coach: Renato Paiva.