Venados FC Liga de Expansión quarterfinal second leg Atlético Morelia, Digi Mart USA News: Los Venados FC will play for what could be their best season in a year and a half over the next ninety minutes. Needing to win by two goals to advance, the Venados will visit Atlético Morelia tonight at 7 p.m.
in the second leg of the Apertura 2026 Liga de Expansión quarterfinals.
Following the first match of the series, the atmosphere in the silver division was stirred by a social media post from analyst “Fantasma” Suárez about an alleged debt owed by the Venados for controversies and player salaries. The club stated yesterday that it had fully and properly paid all outstanding obligations, adding that otherwise it would not have been permitted to take part in the pre-playoff meeting.
Morelia took advantage of two defensive lapses by the visiting side, scoring the equalizer and the winning goal in the first leg with headers. That match was played Wednesday at the Estadio Olímpico “Carlos Iturralde Rivero.”
The task will not be easy for the Venados, who in the regular season on the road lost four, drew three, won one, and conceded 17 goals. Now everything hinges on winning tonight by two goals to aspire to a semifinal berth.
At home, Morelia won four of seven matches and scored 17 goals.
After the defeat, the Venados trained Thursday, motivating each other as a group to try to reverse the scoreline. On Friday they traveled to Purépecha territory to attempt the feat of coming back against the third-place team in the standings.
It will be vital for the regular-season top scorer, Colombian Sleyther Lora, to find the net again after being neutralized in the first leg.
This is the Venados’ first trip to the final rounds, after failing to advance in the Apertura 2025 and Clausura 2026.
Also on Saturday, league leader Atlético La Paz will try to secure its semifinal place when it hosts the Coyotes de Tlaxcala. La Paz won the first leg 1-0, so it needs to protect the lead to advance.
The quarterfinal round will conclude Sunday. Runners-up Leones Negros of the Universidad de Guadalajara must come from behind after losing the first leg 1-0 to Alacranes de Durango, hosting them at Estadio Jalisco.
Additionally, Cancún FC will travel to the port city to visit Piratas FC at “Pirata Fuente,” after drawing 1-1 in the first leg on Thursday.
